AITC News

Catch up with The Cultivator

There is always something happening with AITC-C! Whether it's a new resource or an exciting initiative launch, we strive to ensure all our stakeholders, partners, and friends are informed of the latest news.

Our quarterly newsletter, The Cultivator, is one of our favourite ways to connect with our follows and share organizational news, new resources, events, and more. Take a look back at past newsletters:

Check out the latest AITC national and provincial programs and other exciting news from the agriculture industry.

Canadian Agriculture Literacy Month Celebrates Agriculture In Classes Across Canada

March 1, 2024 (Winnipeg, MB) – Agriculture in the Classroom Canada (AITC-C) and its 10 provincial partners are celebrating agriculture in classrooms across the country this month during the 13th annual Canadian Agriculture Literacy Month (CALM).  

With the goal of connecting students with farmers and other agriculture industry professionals, CALM is a national celebration every March to share Canada’s rich agriculture and food story with students from K to 12. AITC organizations in each province will offer uniquely different activities aimed at helping students learn about agriculture in an interactive and engaging way.  

“We want to cultivate curiosity and encourage students to learn more about where their food comes from,” says Mathieu Rouleau, Executive Director of AITC-C. “CALM is a great opportunity to connect students with agriculture and share Canada’s amazing agriculture and food story.” 

A new storybook, All The Farmers You Will Know, will be introduced to younger students during CALM. Written by WS Marketing, it highlights the wonders of the modern farm and the farmers and families who work and live on them. Youth are encouraged to visit www.iamthefuture.ca to use an interactive new video tool to see themselves in a career in agriculture and food.  

Last year, AITC partners from coast to coast created over 184,000 student experiences during CALM. Hundreds of industry volunteers will visit classes across Canada again this March to share presentations, activities and personal stories to help students learn more about agriculture.  Cargill is the presenting partner for CALM and a valued supporter of AITC-C.  

CFA and CAHRC endorse AITC Canada as the leader in agriculture education

February 28, 2024 (Winnipeg, MB) – The Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) and the Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council (CAHRC) both recognized Agriculture in the Classroom Canada (AITC-C) as the leader in agriculture education by providing official endorsements for AITC-C at the CFA’s annual general meeting in Ottawa today. Last year, AITC-C and its 10 provincial member organizations provided over two million student learning experiences from coast to coast.

“It is with great pleasure that we share our support for the important work that AITC-C is undertaking to educate students and teachers about agriculture,” said Keith Currie, Chair of the CFA. “Our organizations share a common vision for building public trust and helping to ensure a trusted, sustainable, and vibrant agriculture sector in Canada.” 

Currie said the CFA looks forward to continued collaboration with AITC-C and the shared commitment to promoting the importance of agriculture in Canada. For example, both organizations are committed to the National Workforce Strategic Plan for Agriculture, Food and Beverage Manufacturing, which highlights the need to educate the next generation and future workforce about the agriculture industry in Canada. 

Peggy Brekveld, Chair of CAHRC, also demonstrated her organization’s support for the important work that AITC-C is doing to educate and inspire students about agriculture.

 "The National Workforce Strategic Plan clearly points out the need for the work of Agriculture in the Classroom Canada and collaboration amongst industry to raise awareness of the opportunities in agriculture, starting with students at all levels,” says Brekveld. “CAHRC supports the great work of AITC-C on this front and it is with great pleasure that CAHRC formally supports and partners with AITC-C.”

AITC-Canada introduces new Executive Director

November 6, 2023 (Headingley, MB) – Agriculture in the Classroom Canada (AITC-C) welcomes Mathieu Rouleau to lead the organization as Executive Director effective November 6.  

Based in Quebec, Rouleau brings a combination of leadership, agriculture and finance experience to the role. While working in the finance sector, he co-founded École-O-Champ, a non-profit organization dedicated to agricultural education and AITC-C's member organization in Quebec. With a background deeply rooted in agriculture, Rouleau grew up on a dairy, cash crop and maple syrup farm and holds a Bachelor in Agricultural Economics, Agricultural Business and Agronomy from McGill University.  

After starting École-O-Champ as a student project, Rouleau has grown it into a well-recognized organization, successfully growing the budget tenfold, expanding youth experiences throughout Quebec, and cultivating a motivated and engaged team. In his new role with AITC-C, Rouleau will focus on implementing a new three-year strategic plan and continuing to build strong relationships with the agriculture and food industry to allow AITC-C to grow and thrive.  

“We are thrilled to have Mathieu take on the leadership role at AITC-C,” says Rebecca Sooksom, Chair of AITC-C. “A passionate champion of ag education, he was instrumental in establishing École-o-Champs and furthering agriculture education in Quebec and I know he will strengthen our commitment to getting agriculture into classrooms across Canada.” 

“I’m excited to lead a national team and collaborate with our provincial members to educate and empower Canadian youth with essential agriculture knowledge and skills in both official languages,” says Rouleau. “Tomorrow’s leaders are in the classroom today and it is critical they understand the importance of agriculture to nourish and grow our industry for the future.”  

Last year, AITC-C and its member organizations provided over two million student learning experiences through programs and initiatives across the country. AITC-C recently released its annual progress report at https://aitc-canada.ca/en-ca/news-events/impact-reports

With a vision to create meaningful connections to agriculture and food, AITC-C is the national advocate for agriculture education, representing a collective of 10 provincial member organizations who deliver agriculture education on the ground across Canada. AITC-C is the umbrella organization connecting the national network to facilitate sharing and collaboration and deliver accurate, balanced, and current resources. Visit www.aitc-canada.ca to learn more.  

AITC-Canada partners with McCain Foods to kick off Career Month

November 1, 2023 (Headingley, MB) – Agriculture in the Classroom Canada (AITC-C) has partnered with McCain Foods to encourage high school students to explore the endless career opportunities within agriculture in celebration of Career Month in Canada. 

To kick off Career Month, an annual national event celebrating the importance of accessing meaningful work, high school students across Canada were invited to participate in Explore the Possibilities, a virtual career exploration event designed to discover the opportunities to work in the agriculture and agri-food sector.  

This morning, the Explore the Possibilities event featured a panel of four McCain employees with diverse backgrounds who shared their career journeys and insights to inspire students to consider a career in agriculture. AITC-C moderated the event, highlighting the variety of careers and opportunities at McCain, a leader in Canada’s agriculture and agri-food industry and the world’s largest manufacturer of potato products.  

“Agriculture is requiring ever more diverse skill sets as we see exciting new technologies coming into the industry and use data to improve efficiency on farm and throughout the entire supply chain,” said Daniel Metheringham, Vice President Agriculture & Sustainability North America Potato. “People are key to pushing forward the industry, and there is an array of exciting roles available to help transform sustainable farming and the future of food.” 

“The future of agriculture is sitting in classrooms today,” says Sara Shymko, Interim Executive Director of AITC-C. “Thanks to the support of valuable partners like McCain Foods, we want to inspire the next generation of big thinkers, decision-makers, and leaders to be part of agriculture’s future.” 

More than 3,300 students from 58 schools across the country participated in the virtual panel earlier today. Teachers can still share the panel with their classrooms by accessing the link at AITC-C's YouTube channel.

Agriculture in the Classroom Canada and Dairy Farmers of Canada  announce 2023 scholarship recipients

Agriculture in the Classroom Canada and Dairy Farmers of Canada announce 2023 scholarship recipients

Five students selected to receive a total of $15,000

(Headingly, MB) - Agriculture in the Classroom Canada (AITC-C), a Canadian charitable organization with a vision to bring agriculture to every classroom, and Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC), the voice of Canadian dairy farmers, are proud to announce the winners of the DFC Here for Tomorrow Scholarship, powered by thinkAG.

Over 110 submissions were received this year from across the country, an increase by over 50% from year 1. The 2023 scholarship recipients are:

- Lena Park: Grade 11 student from British Columbia (Visual Arts piece on The Three Sisters)

- Victoria Pitsiaeli: Grade 12 student from British Columbia (Video- Setting her sights on being an Agronomist)

- Olivia Szerepi: Grade 11 student from Ontario (Written Essay on caring for those who care for us)

- Calvin Cao: Grade 12 student from Ontario (Video on the AI future of Pest-Busting)

- Edward Sy: Grade 12 student from Ontario (Written essay on Biotechnologists being the Guardians of Sustainability)

Read more.

AITC-Canada celebrates successful national programs and launches search for new Executive Director

June 8, 2023 (Headingley, MB) – Agriculture in the Classroom Canada (AITC-C) and its member organizations provided almost 600,000 student learning experiences from March to May through programs and initiatives across the country. With a vision to create meaningful connections to agriculture and food, AITC-C is the national advocate for agriculture education, representing a collective of 10 provincial member organizations who deliver agriculture education on the ground across Canada.   

During Canadian Agriculture Literary Month (CALM) in March, 1,040 volunteers helped 3,200 teachers in 2,100 schools provide 185,000 student experiences across Canada, expanding their understanding of agriculture through classroom presentations, activities and resources. In April and May, the Great Canadian Farm Tour, a series of virtual farm tours highlighting agriculture in each of the 10 provinces, created more than 399,000 student experiences with over 1,600 teachers registered to participate.

“It’s more important than ever to inspire the next generation to care about the food they eat and where it comes from,” says Rebecca Sooksom, Chair of AITC-C and member of AITC-Nova Scotia. “Thanks to our amazing volunteers, supportive partners and staff, we are reaching more students each year and bringing agriculture into classrooms across Canada.”

Read more here.

AITC-C is looking for teachers to provide feedback on a new middle years program.

AITC-C is looking for teachers to provide feedback on a new middle years program.

Calling all Grade 5, 6, 7, and 8 teachers!

We're developing an exciting new program and are looking for a limited numbers of teachers to help! This could be you!

“What's it about?”

Mission Explorium is equal parts fun for students and easy for teachers. When your class suddenly finds themselves on an uninhabited island, you meet two feathered travelers, Ricardo and Raj, who impart their worldly knowledge upon their new friends (your students!). With the help of famed anthropologist Professor Flora, you’ll create your own society from the ground up while exploring sustainability topics ranging from ecosystems to food production. Plunk your students in the driver’s seat of this choose-your-own adventure competition, as they encounter complicated real-word topics in a fun, experiential way. 

Sound exciting? We agree! But we need your help to make this program as valuable for YOU as possible.

There are two options to choose from on how to provide feedback: an online survey, and/or a teacher focus group. Each option requires a 1-hour time commitment

“What do I get in return?”

Aside from getting a sneak peek at this exciting new program, AITC-C is also offering$50 compensation for each option of feedback.

“What is the timeline?”

The survey will be sent out on May 30th, with a deadline of June 5th to be completed.

The focus groups will take place June 7th at 3:30pm EDT and June 8th at 6:30pm EDT. 

If this sounds interesting to you, click here to apply to be considered. Only selected teachers will be contacted.

PLEASE NOTE: If you already have an account with the AITC Dashboard, enter your email address and password under the Log In heading. If you do not have an AITC Dashboard account, click "Sign up now!" to create an account. Please check your Junk folder for a confirmation email.

Agriculture in the Classroom Canada celebrates Canadian Agriculture Literacy Month with the announcement of $953K in funding from AAFC

Agriculture in the Classroom Canada celebrates Canadian Agriculture Literacy Month with the announcement of $953K in funding from AAFC

Ottawa, Ontario – March 23, 2023 – Technology and youth go hand in hand. Agriculture in the Classroom Canada (AITC-C) helps students discover their passion for agriculture and empowers them to explore career paths in our industry. The use of technology and digital platforms is critical for this outreach, which is why AITC-C is pleased to announce the roll-out of its new digital agriculture awareness campaign, with funding support from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC).

Today, AITC-C welcomed Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister, the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, to the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum in Ottawa. Minister Bibeau announced funding of up to $953,260 over two years under the AgriCommunication Program for AITC’s new campaign that will inform and excite the next generation of Canada’s big thinkers, decision-makers and leaders in agriculture.

“Young people are key to ensuring future success of the agricultural sector. We must help them discover vast career possibilities from a young age. I applaud the incredible work that Agriculture in the Classroom is doing to connect tomorrow’s leaders to the agriculture and agri-food sector and spark interest in this important work.” – The Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food

Read more here.

Canadian Agriculture Literacy Month connects students with their food through innovative learning experiences

Canadian Agriculture Literacy Month connects students with their food through innovative learning experiences

The Agriculture in the Classroom National Collective celebrates 12 years of their flagship program by providing activities from coast-to-coast

Headingley, MB - Most people eat multiple times every single day. Each bite is connected to agriculture, whether they realize it or not.

This March will mark the 12th year of Canadian Agriculture Literacy Month (CALM). The Agriculture in the Classroom (AITC) National Collective is passionate about offering hands-on activities and programs for students so they can realize, understand, and  engage with their own connections to agriculture.

“For more than a decade, Canadian Agricultural Literacy Month has given us an opportunity to celebrate our connections - as Canadians - to agriculture,” said Rebecca Sooksom, chair, AITC-C. “Linking students with food producers helps keep that connection strong so the next generation of Canadians knows not only where their food comes from, but also the importance of the sector to our communities from coast to coast.” 

Each AITC member organization offers its own learning opportunities to students in their respective province, including reading challenges, contests, videos, classroom presentations, and ag resource kits. Some of these include: seed kits, launching new resources, and in class visits from agriculture industry professionals.

“Canada’s Agriculture Literacy Month is an excellent opportunity to show young people where our food comes from, as well as the essential and fascinating work of those who produce it. Thanks to partners like Agriculture in the Classroom Canada, we can provide teachers with tools, programs and teaching materials to help entice the next generation to choose one of many career options available within the agriculture and agri-food sector,” said Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. 

Although AITC offers resources and programs year-round, it takes extra pride during the month of CALM, as hundreds of ag-proud volunteers sign up to give of their time to meet with students from coast to coast. In 2022, CALM provided more than 137,000 student experiences with agriculture and food in all ten Canadian provinces. Together with its supporting partners Cargill and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's Canadian Agricultural Partnership, AITC will expand its reach and get closer to its vision of having agriculture in every classroom, inspiring every student.

“We are honoured to continue our support for CALM and its mission of educating communities on how their food is produced, connecting farmers to the families they feed,” said Jeff Vassart, President, Cargill Canada. “This work is vital in introducing a whole new generation to the vast world of agriculture and the many roles that Canadians play in feeding the world in a safe, responsible and sustainable way.”

For more information about CALM , please visit aitc-canada.ca/calm. Follow along on social media:  #CALM23   #OurFoodOurStory 

Five $3,000 scholarships available for youth to think agriculture for a sustainable future

Five $3,000 scholarships available for youth to think agriculture for a sustainable future

Agriculture in the Classroom Canada and Dairy Farmers of Canada join forces for a second year to provide an enhanced scholarship opportunity to youth nationwide

(Headingley, MB) With a successful inaugural scholarship launch under their belts, Agriculture in the Classroom Canada (AITC-C) and Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC) are thrilled to offer the DFC Here for Tomorrow Scholarship, powered by thinkAG, again in 2023. 

In its pilot year, the scholarship received 42 applications from coast to coast, and had multiple teachers participate in the classroom project. Drawing on the excellent submissions from year one, DFC and AITC-C have increased the number of award recipients from two to five, and raised winnings from $2,500 to $3,000 per student. By expanding the scholarship offering, DFC and AITC-C hope to support more students as they continue their education journeys. 

Open to Canadian students in Grades 10-12 (Secondary 4-5 in Quebec), this scholarship aims to invigorate and equip the next generation with the understanding and belief that they have the power to make informed, sustainable food choices and career decisions.

Read more here.

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