By Shelby Shank
Field Editor
Texas homeschool educators explored agriculture at a recent workshop with the help of Texas Farm Bureau’s (TFB) Ag in the Classroom program.
TFB hosted a Summer Ag Academy for homeschool educators. The two-day workshop held in Garland helped educators connect agriculture to their curriculum through science and hands-on activities.
“Homeschool educators across the Lone Star State participated in our Summer Ag Academy, where they learned from industry experts and engaged in hands-on activities. They explored various agricultural topics and built connections with fellow educators, gaining new ideas for integrating agriculture into their homeschool curriculum,” Jordan Bartels, TFB associate director of Organization Division, Educational Outreach, said.
Homeschool teachers received free TFB resources to help incorporate agricultural topics in their education and connect students to their food, fiber and fuel.
Site visits were also a part of the Summer Ag Academy to give the teachers a chance to see agriculture in action.
“It was cool to see something I saw in Yellowstone and have it brought to life,” said Priscilla Rios, a homeschool parent from Spring. “Just seeing that, I was able to record it, and I can take that back home and show it to my kids. I can talk to them about it and share the information I learned with them.”
Participants met with Collin County Farm Bureau President James Foster and toured his farm. They learned about beef cattle and saw how corn is harvested. Visits also included touring The Urban County Farm at Texas A&M AgriLife Extension in Dallas County.
A returning participant, Stephanie Kenny from McKinney, expressed gratitude about the various resources available to bring agriculture to life through lessons.
“When I think of one word for Texas Farm Bureau, at least in application to homeschoolers, is resources. And so finding out about the Ag on the Go trailer and the Mobile Learning Barn, that’s another resource for our kids,” Kenny said. “I had such an incredible time and learned so much, and actually for the past year, I have been using the resources Texas Farm Bureau gave us and knew I need to come back this year.”
The workshop inspired educators to think outside of the box to further expand the education of their kids and connect agriculture to their lessons.
“We don’t have a farm or ranch or anything, but we enjoy planting a garden and learning how something grows. My kids ask questions, and they’re excited and ready to learn more,” Rios said. “I think it’s important for us to know where everything comes from, and then for them in the future, they can have their own little garden or something like that.”
For over 30 years, TFB has hosted professional development events each summer to help Texas educators make connections with agriculture, offering 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.
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