AITC News

(Ottawa, Ontario) On April 8, 2019, Agriculture in the Classroom-Canada (AITC-C) will welcome Kim Sabourin as its new Communications Manager, based in Ottawa.

Kim Sabourin, born in Calgary, Alberta and raised just west of Ottawa, has primarily worked in the not-for-profit sector in communication and community relations’ roles. Kim has worked in the field of International Education and is currently the Manager of Communications and Member Engagement with the Canadian Seed Trade Association (CSTA). CSTA is where Kim got her start in agriculture and where she truly developed her passion for food and advocating for agriculture. Through engaging with CSTA members, partners and stakeholders Kim developed an understanding of the industry and an appreciation for the critical work being done. While at CSTA, Kim has had the opportunity to manage their brand refresh, develop a new website for the Association, reimagine many communication tools and more. While it will be difficult for her to leave CSTA, Kim is very excited about the opportunity to join AITC-C.

Read the full media release here (PDF).

Annual Canadian Agriculture Literacy Month 2019 will reach over 40,000 students!

Headingley, MB, March 1, 2019 – Agriculture in the Classroom - Canada (AITC-C), representing nine provincial Agriculture in the Classroom organizations, will participate in the eighth annual Canadian Agriculture Literacy Month (CALM) in schools across Canada for the month of March.

CALM is a hands-on program that encourages children to learn about and celebrate Canada’s agriculture and food story in various ways, including reading books about farming and food, watching videos and meeting with farmers and others in the agriculture industry. Building an awareness for students about the connection they have to local farmers and the agriculture and food sector is what makes CALM so impactful.

Click for the full media release in English or French.

This month, Agriculture in the Classroom-Canada (AITC-C) welcomed Shayla Hertz as its new thinkAG Career Initiative Manager. 

thinkAG is a national career initiative under AITC-C that provides students an opportunity to learn about the agriculture and food industry, explore various agricultural careers, and gain an understanding of the many education and employment opportunities available in the agri-food sector.

This exciting new online tool will be a “one-stop-shop” for teachers across Canada who are looking for agriculture education resources that will connect directly to their provincial curricula.  Teachers will be able to filter by grade, topic, and subject area to find the agriculture and food resources available to them to engage their students.  This matrix has been designed to provide teachers with the most accurate, balanced and current information regarding Canada’s agri-food sector, and it is free of charge for users. 

Download the Media Release (PDF)

Canadian Agriculture Literacy Month (CALM) was a great success in March 2018. Nine provinces (NL, NS, NB, PE, ON, MB, SK, AB & BC) participated with activities ranging from classroom reading visits with industry and producer representatives, high school sessions, library visits, class visits to farms, as well as a large social media component. Once again, this year the CALM coordinator allowed for the provincial coordinators to have a central hub for communication and sharing ideas. It also allowed for one person to manage national tasks including the development and distribution of teacher and volunteer resources and managing the social and traditional media communications. 

Agriculture in the Classroom Canada thanks Farm Credit Canada for its ongoing support to this impactful initiative.

View the Final Report for Canadian Agriculture Literacy Month (PDF)

Agriculture in the Classroom-Canada (AITC-C) alongside its provincial member organizations and other delegates, gathered in Winnipeg for its annual sharing session.

Download the media release (PDF)

The thinkAG Teen Career Inquiry Survey was conducted by Kynetec Canada as part of the AITC-C thinkAG initiative. Over 1000 high school students across Canada completed this online questionnaire about their awareness and interest in agri-food careers, as well as their preferred methods for learning career information. 

View the press release (PDF)