By Julie Tomascik
Editor
Growing agricultural literacy in schools and communities is a priority for Farm Bureau, and mini grants available from the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture can help.
County Farm Bureaus may apply for grants of up to $1,000 for K-12 educational programs through the White-Reinhardt Mini-Grant Program. The grant can be used to initiate new agricultural literacy programs or expand existing programs. This is a great opportunity for county Farm Bureaus to partner with teachers who have fantastic ideas for agricultural literacy projects in their classrooms. The national grant program was established to fund projects that help students and adults cultivate a better understanding of agriculture.
“This grant opportunity is a great way for teachers and county Farm Bureaus to work together to grow agricultural literacy by supporting programs locally,” said Jordan Bartels, Texas Farm Bureau associate director of Organization Division, Educational Outreach. “Agricultural literacy projects are imperative as we teach the next generation of consumers how agriculture impacts them and relates to the subjects and concepts already being learned in the classroom, and this grant provides an excellent opportunity for funding.”
Agricultural literacy initiatives are enhanced in local communities through this mini-grant program, according to the program coordinators.
Grants are available on a competitive basis.
Applications must be submitted by April 15.
Applications must include a timeline and detailed budget with estimated expenses, as well as a summary of the project, goals and anticipated outcomes and the target audience.
The winners will be notified in mid-July for August through December projects. Those projects selected for grants will receive one-half of the grant at the beginning of the project, and the balance upon completion of the project and submission of a final written report.
Funding is not available for mileage, field trips, wages and benefits, safety programs or one-time consumable products such as copying, paper, seeds or meals. The intent is to build capacity by funding items that can be used repeatedly.
Payments cannot be made to individuals or other organizations, only to a county Farm Bureau.
The White-Reinhardt Fund for Education is a project of the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture in cooperation with the American Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee. The fund honors two former committee chairwomen, Berta White and Linda Reinhardt, who were trailblazers in early national efforts to expand the outreach of agricultural education and improve agricultural literacy.
More information about the White-Reinhardt Mini-Grant Program is available on the White-Reinhardt Grants Application webpage.