November 7, 2023 (Toronto, ON) – Agriculture in the Classroom Canada (AITC-C) has launched an innovative national campaign to inspire and encourage Canadian youth to consider a career in the agriculture and agri-food industry. The campaign was introduced at the Royal Agricultural Fair in Toronto today in celebration of Career Month in Canada.  

 I AM AG is an interactive social media campaign designed to engage the agriculture industry to share their ag pride and highlight their unique role to inspire and encourage students to consider a career in agriculture.  

 “Connecting with youth through this initiative is a great way to educate young people about the importance and impact of agriculture,” says Mathieu Rouleau, Executive Director of AITC-C. “Climate change, food security and labour shortages are some of the pressing issues impacting our industry and we need to inspire the decision makers and leaders of tomorrow – who are in classrooms today – to be part of the solution for a sustainable future.”  

 The campaign, which can be found at https://iamag.ca, uses an interactive, online video tool to engage people who work in the agriculture sector to celebrate and share their uniqueness and highlight the role they play in the industry. They are encouraged to share their AI-generated video on social media using the hashtag #IAMAG to promote the diversity of careers in agriculture. The youth-facing version of the tool links students to suggested careers in agriculture based on their own unique attributes. 

 “One in eight jobs in Canada is in the agriculture and agri-food industry and we must ensure those jobs are filled and grow in the future,” says Rouleau. “There is a world of opportunity, and we want to encourage the next generation to be a part of this vibrant and diverse industry.” 

 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 aitc-canada.ca to learn more.  

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.  

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.

(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.

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.