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.

AITC-C joins Will Power campaign to promote legacy giving

AITC-C joins Will Power campaign to promote legacy giving

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/.

National Agriculture Education Leader, Johanne Ross, to Receive Canadian Agriculture Hall of Fame Induction Honour

National Agriculture Education Leader, Johanne Ross, to Receive Canadian Agriculture Hall of Fame Induction Honour

Ceremony to take place in Winnipeg, November 2021

Agriculture in the Classroom Canada (AITC-C), along with its 10 provincial members, is thrilled to announce that the Canadian Agriculture Hall of Fame has chosen its Executive Director, Johanne Ross, as a 2021 inductee.

Johanne has been a champion for agriculture education for more than 20 years – first as the Executive Director of AITC in Manitoba, and then by leading the development of the national organization which formalized in 2015. Johanne has tirelessly dedicated her career to advocating for agriculture education to be present in all classrooms, bridging the information gap and creating meaningful connections to agriculture and food for Canadian students and educators.

"The Board of Directors and provincial colleagues congratulate Johanne! She leads AITC Canada with enthusiasm and passion, encourages collaboration, and maintains connections with farmers and people experienced in agriculture," said Pat Tonn, Chair. "She has built a lasting legacy for agriculture education in Canada and is most deserving of induction to the Canadian Agriculture Hall of Fame."

Read the full announcement here.

Read CAHF announcement here.

AITC-C celebrates over 2 million student experiences in agriculture education

AITC-C celebrates over 2 million student experiences in agriculture education

Releases 2020-2021 Annual Progress Report

Agriculture in the Classroom Canada (AITC-C), along with its 10 provincial members, has connected two million students to agriculture education experiences with Canada’s agriculture and food story, as reported in AITC-C’s 2020-2021 Annual Progress Report. With the COVID-19 shift, AITC-C continued to deliver programming virtually – allowing for a wider reach to more remote communities and schools. 

Through the strong presence of AITC-C's 10 provincial members from across Canada and its online Curriculum Connected Resource Matrix, AITC-C strives to address the knowledge gap that exists around our food system. Collectively, we provided accurate, balanced, and current agriculture information and resources to Canadian classrooms. 

"We are thrilled that so many curious students are participating in AITC-C's innovative learning opportunities,” said Johanne Ross, Executive Director of AITC-C. “Our reach continues to grow as we adapt to the changing tides in educational delivery and focus on creating student experiences and meaningful connections to agriculture and food.” 

View more information on AITC-C's 2020-2021 Annual Progress Report website: aitc-celebrates.ca.

Six winners chosen for this year’s G3 Grow Beyond Scholarship

Six winners chosen for this year’s G3 Grow Beyond Scholarship

The G3 Grow Beyond Scholarship is being awarded again this year to 6 remarkable young people.

The winners were chosen after a weeks-long selection process from a field of more than 50 candidates who applied and told us in a video presentation how they would drive innovation in agriculture. Each winner will receive $4,000 as they embark on their post-secondary education; each of their high schools will also be rewarded $1,000. The scholarship is presented in partnership with Agriculture in the Classroom Canada (AITC-C).

We are proud to announce the 2021 G3 Grow Beyond Scholarship winners:

All the candidates’ videos were posted online, and public voting formed part of the overall score in the selection process. The public response again this year was incredible. The g3growbeyond.org website saw more than 63,000 unique visits. Videos were played more than 17,000 times and more than 16,000 votes cast.

Read the media release here.

AITC-C releases 12 new snapAG information sheets

AITC-C releases 12 new snapAG information sheets

Agriculture in the Classroom Canada is excited to add 12 new snapAG information sheets to its Learn About Agriculture webpage and Curriculum Connected Resource Matrix. These new, infographic resources cover ‘hot topics’ in the agriculture and food sector, including regenerative agriculture, robotics, food security, urban agriculture, and more!

The addition of these 12 snapAG sheets brings the total number of sheets to 73 information sheets, providing accurate, balanced, and current science-​based answers to various questions about agriculture and food - ready for teachers, students, and learning from home.

The new 12 snapAG sheets will be housed on our newly redesigned snapAG portal, available here. AITC-C also plans to release three sheets focusing on Indigenous Agriculture in the next few months.

Explore our snapAG sheets.

New website will inspire students to ‘thinkAG’ about their future

New website will inspire students to ‘thinkAG’ about their future

thinkAG.ca aims to connect students, teachers and parents with careers in Canadian agriculture and food

Agriculture in the Classroom Canada (AITC-C), along with its ten provincial member organizations, is excited to announce the launch of thinkAG.ca, a new website aimed at getting middle years to high school students curious about careers in Canada’s agriculture and food sector.

The interactive website takes students on a journey to discover how their interests match up with careers in agriculture and food, showcased by over 70 career profiles highlighting the many diverse jobs that exist along the agricultural value chain. Students will also have access to information about post-secondary options and scholarship opportunities.

“This is the first website of its kind in Canada – guiding students to uncover how their futures can fit into the agriculture industry,” said Shayla Hertz, AITC-C’s thinkAG Manager. “We need to help students see themselves, and how their skills fit, in agriculture and food. We want them to know that people who have not grown up on a farm or with an ag background are often the most valuable additions to agriculture because they question the status quo. New and fresh perspectives are needed in an industry that’s forever growing in complexity and vital to feeding our world.”

Right now, in Canada, there are more jobs in agriculture than there are people to fill them. This website is a revolutionary way to encourage students to recognize how their interests and skills fit into the agriculture sector – rather than the other way around - and promotes finding meaningful careers in Canadian agriculture and food.

Read the full media release here.

Canadian Cattlemen’s Foundation joins with AITC-C to support education

Canadian Cattlemen’s Foundation joins with AITC-C to support education

Agriculture in the Classroom Canada (AITC-C), along with its ten provincial members, is proud to welcome the Canadian Cattlemen’s Foundation (CCF) as a Foundational and Educational Partner. The collaboration will support the development of agriculture education resources including a teacher guide for Guardians of the Grasslands, a documentary that explores the current state of one of the world’s most endangered ecosystems, the Great Plains grasslands, and the role cattle play in its survival.

Both AITC-C and CCF are committed to youth education and fostering awareness and understanding of Canadian’s agriculture and food system with students. The $50,000 contribution to AITC-C is the first-of-its-kind since the inception of CCF in 2014.

Read the full media release here.

Bayer supports AITC-C in national 'Business of Food' expansion

Bayer supports AITC-C in national 'Business of Food' expansion

 Agriculture in the Classroom Canada (AITC-C), along with its ten provincial member organizations, is proud to announce the national expansion of The Business of Food (BOF), thanks to a $450,000 multi-year partnership from Bayer Crop Science Canada. This new partnership will also leverage matching funding from the recently announced Canadian Agriculture Partnership program through Agriculture and Agri-food Canada.

Developed by AgScape, the Ontario member to AITC-C, the Business of Food is a comprehensive e-learning platform aimed at bringing knowledge about food and agriculture to education professionals.

“Our connection with food from an early age is vital and education drives that connection,” said Trish Jordan, Senior Business Partner, Government & Industry Affairs with Bayer. “Building good food habits and developing a positive relationship with Canada’s food system needs to be taught to students in an engaging way, and we know AITC has the right programs to make this happen.” 

Read the full media release here.

AITC-C Launches 10th Anniversary of Canadian Agriculture Literacy Month

Agriculture in the Classroom Canada (AITC-C), along with its ten provincial member organizations, is excited to announce its 10th annual Canadian Agriculture Literacy Month (CALM).

Each year, CALM encourages thousands of Canadian students from K to 12 to celebrate Canada’s agriculture and food story. CALM is a hands-on program designed to be integrated into classrooms in the month of March. Educating students about the significant affect the agriculture and food sector has on our daily lives as Canadians is what makes CALM so impactful.

“This year marks an important milestone for the invaluable work done by AITC,” said the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. “I wholeheartedly support their mission to engage our youth in the great story our farmers have to tell about how our food is made. Hopefully, more Canadians will see the exciting and fulfilling career opportunities in the agriculture sector. Agriculture in the Classroom is helping to close the gap between urban and rural, which is more important than ever, and our Government will continue to support them in this vital work.”

Read the full media release here.

AITC-C Welcomes Canada East Equipment Dealers’ Association (CEEDA) as a Foundational Partner

AITC-C Welcomes Canada East Equipment Dealers’ Association (CEEDA) as a Foundational Partner

Agriculture in the Classroom Canada (AITC-C) is proud to announce the foundational funding support and partnership with Canada East Equipment Dealers’ Association (CEEDA). Together, we will work to deliver educational resources that are inclusive of the contribution equipment and technical services plays in the agricultural sector.

Through our thinkAG career initiative, our combined messaging will reach youth audiences nationally and build awareness of agriculture career opportunities beyond the farm with real-life stories from professionals in the equipment industry. With an expected abundance of open positions in the coming years within this sector, this partnership will help fill bring up curiosity with individuals who are eager to learn from experienced professionals in the equipment industry.

Read the full media release here

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