AITC News

Headingley, MB - March 1, 2022 – Canadian Agriculture Literacy Month is back this March, bringing agriculture and food learning experiences to students across Canada. The celebrated flagship event from Agriculture in the Classroom Canada and its 10 provincial members offers hands-on activities and programs for students that help them learn about, understand, and appreciate Canada’s agriculture and food story.

Keeping with the theme ‘Our Food, Our Story’, AITC-C is excited to premiere The Great Canadian Farm Tour, a month-long, virtual field trip for educators and students to connect with real farmers across Canada and learn about the diversity of commodities they produce. This eleven-stop tour features a range of farms – from dairy to aquaculture to maple syrup – and is integrated with interactive learning opportunities and in-classroom, curriculum-linked resources.

“Over the last 11 years, CALM has become a staple learning experience in classrooms across Canada and continues to encourage curiosity, connection and a life-long learning about agriculture and food,” says Johanne Ross, Executive Director of AITC-C. “Collectively, AITC-C and all ten of our provincial members work to provide interesting and engaging experiences to foster inspiration and motivation for students to discover their role in the agri-food system.”

Learn more here.

Headingly, MB - February 22, 2022 – Agriculture in the Classroom Canada (AITC-C) and Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC) are celebrating Canada’s Agriculture Day with the announcement of an exciting joint effort: the DFC Here for Tomorrow Scholarship, powered by thinkAG.  

Open to students in grades 10-12 across Canada, 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.  

Fueled by AITC-C’s career exploration initiative, thinkAG - the scholarship directly connects students with the multitude of important roles and professions that exist within the agriculture and food sector, helping them recognize how their interests and skills can be utilized in this evolving industry.  

Learn more here.

Do you have students that are tech-savvy and creative thinkers? The Career Case: Explore Digital Agriculture Extension will spark students’ interest in the compelling world of digital agriculture. Students will learn about the various tools and technologies used in agriculture and food production, explore the relationship between technology in agriculture and everyday use, and increase their awareness of careers within this multi-faceted, ever-evolving area of the sector. This resource has been designed for students in Grades 7-9 (Grade 10-12 resource coming March 2023!) and is your opportunity to help young people see all that the future of work in digital agriculture can offer.

To read more click here.

 The G3 Grow Beyond Scholarship is back and open for applications from bright young Canadian students with a vision for the future of agriculture.

In partnership with Agriculture in the Classroom Canada (AITC-C), G3 launched the scholarship in 2020 and awarded it again last year. The 2022 edition will again include 6 scholarships of $4,000 each for post-secondary studies in any discipline, plus $1,000 for each of the winners’ high schools to further encourage innovation.

Applicants are required to submit a 2-to-4-minute video essay describing their idea for innovation in agriculture and how their studies will help achieve it. All the applicants’ videos will be posted on the scholarship website g3growbeyond.org where visitors can cast a vote for their favourite. Winners will be chosen based partially on votes received, and the decisions of a panel of judges. Last year’s winners were announced during a live Facebook event.

"We are excited to be heading into the third year of the G3 Grow Beyond Scholarship program. It is so important for youth to get curious about agriculture and food, and to share their bright ideas for the future of technology and innovation in Canada.," said Melissa Galay, Education Specialist for AITC-C. "We are grateful for the support from G3 to be able to offer these scholarships as financial support for six students heading to their first year of post-secondary education in the fall of 2022."

The scholarship is available across Canada, except Québec. For full details on the G3 Grow Beyond Scholarship, and to apply, visit g3growbeyond.org.

On Sunday November 21st, AITC-C leader Johanne Ross was officially inducted into the Canadian Agricultural Hall of Fame. Our organization was extremely honoured to be able to celebrate Johanne and all of her various accomplishments over the years with her family and friends.  

After graduating from University of Manitoba with a degree in Agriculture and spending several years in the agri-food sector, Johanne joined Agriculture in the Classroom Manitoba as Executive Director in 2000. She grew AITC-M from a “one-women show” to a thriving organization. In 2015, she shifted to a national focus leading the development of AITC Canada as a cross-country effort to bring ag education into every classroom, inspiring every student. 

Johanne is a proud community booster where she and her family live on their farm near Minnedosa, Manitoba. She has served on countless boards and committees, and is a driving force who has inspired hundreds of partnerships and collaborations for AITC and beyond. 

All of this, combined with her genuine passion and enthusiasm for sharing Canada’s agriculture and food story, have made her a champion for agriculture education for more than 20 years. This induction into the CAHF celebrates the lasting legacy of not only her leadership, but the importance of agriculture education to all Canadians. 

AITC-C is ecstatic to announce we were awarded three Best of CAMA awards at the recent virtual event. 

The thinkAG website won the Website directed at the General Public category. The thinkAG website’s goal is to engage and inspire youth and beyond to consider a career in agriculture – no matter their interests or skills. In addition to our category, the thinkAG website won for Best in Show for all public facing communications. 

We’d like to thank Lesia Design and Digital for assisting our team in the creation of this website. 

Our 2020-2021 Annual Progress Report won in the Specialty Publications category. Our Annual Progress Report has gained more than 1400 page views, and outlines our collective national impact across our 10 provincial organizations. We are extremely proud of not only the report but the impact it reflects. 

We’d like to thank Arcana Creative for the creation of the stunning illustrations, and Kim Sabourin for her work and expertise. 

Canadian Agri-food Marketers Alliance (CAMA) is a national alliance connecting Canada’s agri-food marketers and communicators. The Best of CAMA is our industry’s annual showcase of creativity, marketing, and communications expertise.  

 Agriculture in the Classroom Canada (AITC-C), along with its 10 provincial members, is inspiring students to explore careers in agriculture and food this November for Canada Career Month, a national campaign initiated by the Canadian Career Development Foundation (CCDF). By putting agri-food careers into the spotlight through its thinkAG initiative, AITC-C hopes to get Canadian teens curious about the diversity of careers available in the sector and help close the labour shortage gap. 

To celebrate Career Month, AITC-C is releasing their new Career Case game, fully launching the interactive thinkAG website, and providing some sneak peeks at the upcoming Kareero app that will be available for download this spring. AITC-C is also spearheading a 30-Day thinkAG Challenge to classrooms and parents to empower students to learn that their diverse skillset, interests, and unique background is not only needed in the agriculture and food industry, but will help to provide them with a fulfilling career that can positively impact our country and world.  

“AITC-C and its thinkAG initiative is excited to be joining Canada Career Month for the first time ever! We want students to realize there is a place for them in the agriculture and food sector, and that they can find a meaningful career in the industry, whether or not they grew up in a farming environment,” said Shayla Hertz, AITC-C’s thinkAG manager. “Career Month is the perfect time to get these conversations happening in the classroom, around the dinner table, and on social media.” 

Beginning over 20 years ago, Career Month has been run by a collaborative group of career development professionals, educators, and organizations, and is celebrating 2021 with the inspiring theme, “it’s possible”.  Career Month runs from November 1st through November 30th. Follow along with #CareerMonth and #ItsPossible to learn how we can get Canadian students to thinkAG.

Read the full release here.

Agriculture in the Classroom Canada (AITC-C), along with its 10 provincial members, is excited to launch a teaching guide with interactive resources for Guardians of the Grasslands, a documentary that explores the role that cattle play in the survival of Canada’s vanishing grasslands ecosystem.

Through a funding partnership with the Canadian Cattlemen’s Foundation (CCF), Guardians of the Grasslands in the Classroom complements the 12-minute documentary through viewing and reflection questions, an online scavenger hunt, and a student-developed board game based on their investigative research. It also connects to further readings exploring the key topics of biodiversity, soil health, climate change, and land management.

“Guardians of the Grasslands in the Classroom is a curriculum-linked, purpose-driven opportunity for teachers and students to learn about and reflect on the endangered grasslands ecosystem in a way that fosters critical thinking and creativity,” said Melissa Galay, Education Specialist with AITC-C.

Most Canadians – let alone students – are not aware of the important role that cattle play in preserving and maintaining what remains of our country’s grasslands. Through the documentary and fun, interactive learning resources, students will learn how ranchers, conservationists, and others are working together towards protecting what is left the grasslands.

"By developing Guardians of the Grasslands in the Classroom as an educational resource, students across Canada will have the opportunity to learn about cattle's important role in preserving grassland ecosystems. We are proud to partner with Agriculture in the Classroom Canada to further showcase our industry's positive environmental story to youth across the country," said Bob Lowe, Chair of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Foundation.

Guardians of the Grasslands in the Classroom is targeted at Grades 7 to 11 students, and is available for free download on AITC-C’s Curriculum Connected Resource Matrix, found here.

The Guardians of the Grasslands documentary is available for public viewing here.

AITC-C is excited to release its newest curriculum-linked teaching tool, connectAG.

The interactive, online resource aims to support students’ understanding of where and how our food is produced, while also examining the challenges and opportunities producers face. The resource examines farms from all Canadian provinces and enables students to learn about agricultural commodities from many farmers, allowing them to make links to our food system.

“We are looking forward to teachers and students diving into this e-learning resource and exploring what agriculture looks like across the country,” said Melissa Galay, AITC-C’s Education Specialist. “Agriculture and food production is so unique in each province, and this resource tells part of that diverse food story through interactive elements.”

The free, bilingual resource is geared at Grades 7 to 9 and is available for Canadian teachers to bring into their classrooms, as well as for parents and students for at-home learning. The French version will be available later this week. 

connectAG is accessible on our Curriculum Connected Resource Matrix, found here.

AITC-C is joining together with Will Power to empower Canadians to view their Will as more than just a legal document, but a powerful tool to support charities and grow your legacy. 

Teaming up with fellow charities, financial advisors and legal professionals across the country, we are excited to show how supporting organizations like AITC in your Will can be an impactful way to become a champion for agriculture education. 

A Legacy Gift is a powerful way to share your commitment to agriculture education in Canada as it will provide student interactions that inspire a lifelong connection and understanding of food and where it comes from. Investing in agriculture education today will help empower consumers and inspire leaders of tomorrow!

Through this national movement, Will Power is educating Canadians on the power they have to make a difference through their Wills and is sharing information on common myths surrounding gifts in Wills and the potential tax benefits for legacy giving. 

“Many donors believe that they can’t support both their loved ones and their favourite cause with their Will. The truth is, just a small percentage of your estate left to charity can have a big impact, while still leaving the majority for loved ones.” 

If you are interested in learning how you can ‘Grow Your Legacy with AITC-C’, please visit willpower.ca/charities/aitccanada/.