September 20, 2006
Florida Ag In The Classroom Awards 17 Volunteer Grants, Bronson Announces
AgVenture field trips, an extension embryology project and aquaculture curriculum were some of the projects Florida Agriculture in the Classroom funded as part of its 2006 Volunteer Grants program. The organization approved 17 grant projects around the state, agreeing to spend a total of more than $21,000.
“Educating Florida youth about where their food, clothing, landscape material and other goods come from requires the effort of the whole Florida agriculture industry,” Florida Agriculture Commissioner Charles H. Bronson said. “It’s great that Florida Ag in the Classroom provides the funding for these programs and industry representatives carry them out.”
Florida Ag in the Classroom is able to provide grant money for these projects because of the funding it receives from sales of the agriculture specialty license plate, the Ag Tag.
“Providing needed dollars to local industry projects that educate students about the importance of Florida agriculture is a big part of what Florida Ag in the Classroom does,” said Heather Nedley, chairman of Florida Ag in the Classroom and executive director of Polk County Farm Bureau. “We proudly support the hard work of our industry representatives who organize AgVenture field trips and farm tours and develop agriculture-related curriculum and materials.”
The 2006 Volunteer Grants approved for funding are (the organizations that applied for the grants are in parentheses):
-- Agri What? A Calhoun County Ag Venture Field Day (Calhoun County Extension)
Calhoun County’s first AgVenture in which fifth graders visit 10 stations teaching them about dairy, forestry, bee and honey production, vegetable production, careers in agriculture, aquaculture, plant breeding and production, poultry production and cotton and peanut production.
-- Clay County Ag Venture (Clay County Extension)
Clay County’s AgVenture in which third graders learn about the production of different local commodities.
-- Clay County 4-H Embryology Program (Clay County Extension)
A project in which Clay County second graders learn about poultry production from 4-H agents or trained FFA students and by incubating eggs in the classroom.
-- Flagler Ag Venture Days (Flagler County Extension)
Expand Flagler County’s two-year-old AgVenture program by rolling it out to more kindergarteners. Using Florida Ag in the Classroom curricula and materials, students learn about beef, aquaculture, potatoes, forestry, bee, eggs and dairy.
-- Gulf County Agriculture Awareness Day (Gulf County Extension)
Expand Gulf County’s two-year-old Ag Venture program by offering more interactive stations that educates fifth graders about local commodity production.
-- Holmes County Community Farming Project (Holmes County Extension)
Launch Holmes County’s Community Farming Project in which students in kindergarten through 12th grade plant a community garden and learn how to raise various commodities with the help of local farmers, Holmes County Extension Service, Holmes County Farm Bureau and Farm Service Agency.
-- Jackson County Ag Adventure Days (Jackson County Extension)
Expand Jackson County’s AgVenture to include a corn maze and other stations that teach fifth graders about local commodity production.
-- Aquaculture Guide for K-12 Educators (Florida Division of Aquaculture)
Develop aquaculture curriculum that teachers in kindergarten through 12th grade can use.
-- Ag Adventures for Liberty, Gadsden, Wakulla and Calhoun Youth (Liberty County Extension)
Launch the first AgVenture for these four Panhandle counties in which fourth graders will learn about local commodity production through classroom instruction using Florida Ag in the Classroom curricula and materials and field trips.
-- Campus Beautification with Earthboxes (Agri-science teacher)
A project in which high school students in Manatee County learn about agri-science, crop and plant technology and horticulture.
-- Adventure in Ag (Southeastern Youth Fair)
Develop curriculum using Florida Ag in the Classroom curricula and materials to teach fourth graders about Marion County and Florida agriculture.
-- 4-H Ag Venture Day Camp (South Florida Fair)
A two-week-long 4-H camp in which students learn about local commodity production including beef, dairy, poultry, corn, rice, bees, sugar, vegetable and nursery production.
-- International Harvest Luncheon (Pinellas County Farm Bureau)
A luncheon in which third, fourth and fifth graders learn about the major commodities of the world’s largest nations and the state’s largest counties.
-- Polk County Agri-Fest (Polk County Farm Bureau)
Expand the interactive stations of Polk County’s Agri-Fest field trip in which fourth graders learn about local commodity production.
-- Putnam County Embryology Project (Putnam County Extension)
A project in which third, fourth and fifth graders learn about poultry production by using incubators in the classroom, among other activities.
-- Ag Edventures (St. Johns County Extension)
Introduce the AgVenture field trip to more fourth graders in St. Johns County to teach them about local agriculture production.
-- Washington County Agriculture Exploration Fair (Washington County Extension)
Switch Washington County’s AgVenture to fourth graders who learn about local commodity production.
Florida Ag in the Classroom is a non-profit organization based in Gainesville charged with educating teachers and students about the importance of Florida agriculture. It does this by providing curricula, materials, grant money and other programs to teachers and industry volunteers to give real-life agricultural applications to the language arts, math, science and social studies lessons they give in the classroom and on field trips.
For more information:
Lisa Gaskalla
(352) 846-1391
LBGaskalla@ifas.ufl.edu
