By Shelby Shank
Field Editor

Homeschool educators explored agriculture at a recent workshop with the help of Texas Farm Bureau’s Ag in the Classroom programs.

TFB hosted a brand-new Summer Ag Academy for homeschool educators. The two-day workshop held in Waco taught homeschool educators how to incorporate agriculture in homeschool education.

“Homeschool educators across the state had the opportunity to learn from industry experts and engage in hands-on activities at our Summer Ag Academy. They learned about various agricultural topics and established relationships with other educators to help them navigate innovative ways to bring agriculture to life in their homeschool curriculum,” Jordan Bartels, TFB associate director of Organization Division, Educational Outreach, said.

The workshop immersed educators into agriculture through science and hands-on activities. Homeschool teachers also received free resources to help implement agricultural topics in their education and connect students to their food, fiber and fuel.

Site visits were also part of the Summer Ag Academy to give educators a chance to see agriculture in action.

“Site visit offered attendees a unique view into agriculture and allowed them to talk with a Texas hydroponics farmer,” Bartels said. “Visits included touring lettuce production at TrueHarvest Farms and learning about agriculture and space at Texas State Technical College’s Challenger Learning Center.”

Homeschool educators expressed gratitude about the numerous resources available to bring agriculture to life through lessons.

“The program went beyond all expectations, and I’m eager to integrate agriculture into my lessons and share what I’ve learned with my students” said Stephanie Kenny, a homeschool parent in McKinney.

The workshop also inspired the attendees and helped bring excitement to another school year.

“I enjoyed getting to network with homeschool parents across the state, hear their experiences and collaborate on ideas with them,” Camille Hoff, a Lakeway homeschool parent, said. “I also enjoyed doing the science experiments that I can easily implement at home with materials I already have and share them with my kids.

Educators received curriculum to help them better incorporate the material in their lessons.

“Homeschool educators are eager to incorporate agriculture into their lessons, but sometimes they aren’t aware of how to connect or where to find curriculum,” Bartels said. “That’s how Farm Bureau’s workshops and resources can help them. The Summer Ag Academy provides the opportunity for attendees to talk to farmers and ranchers, learn how the information can be used in the lesson and network with fellow homeschool educators.”

For more than 30 years, TFB has hosted professional development events in the summer to help Texas teachers make the connection with agriculture, providing them engaging techniques to incorporate the subject into their curriculum.

Additional information about educational opportunities for teachers and Ag in the Classroom activities is available at texasfarmbureau.org/aitc.