By Emmy Powell
Communications Specialist

Registration for Texas Farm Bureau’s (TFB) 2025 Summer Ag Institutes (SAI) is open for Texas teachers.

The four-day professional development events immerse teachers in multiple aspects of agriculture and how to incorporate agricultural concepts in their classroom.

SAI incorporates presentations by agricultural experts who specialize in education. The institutes also include site visits to area farms, ranches and agricultural businesses to give the educators agricultural experiences.

“SAI is an immersive, hands-on learning opportunity for Texas teachers and helps them become familiar with modern agriculture and how it can be incorporated into the classroom,” said Jordan Bartels, TFB associate director of Organization Division, Educational Outreach.

This year, the program will be held in two locations—Waco and Rosenberg.

Throughout the week for each event, agricultural experts and educational professionals will demonstrate agricultural concepts for teachers from across the Lone Star State.

“Teachers will get the opportunity to get new perspectives of agriculture through different site visits to farms, ranches and agricultural businesses,” Bartels said. “We hope they are encouraged to attend by their passion or interest in including agriculture into their classrooms—whether they are new to doing so or have been including agriculture for many years.”

Previous site visits have included a honey bottling facility, row crop farms, a feed store, beef cattle ranches and a hydroponics farm, among others.

Teachers will build relationships with fellow educators and industry experts, further growing their professional network.

“Both SAIs are full of unique learning opportunities that look different than most professional development opportunities they might have attended in the past,” she said. “Each teacher will receive resources and leave with ideas for lessons and activities that incorporate agriculture into their classrooms.”

Additional fun, interactive demonstrations will help connect agriculture to classroom curriculum.

“SAI provides teachers the tools and resources to successfully incorporate agricultural topics into what they already teach,” Bartels said.

Teachers will take home activity ideas, lesson plans and numerous resources and experiences. They also receive over 30 hours of continuing professional education credits as authorized by the Texas Education Agency.

SAI is open to any certified, active K-12 teachers of any subject area who teach in a public school or K-12 teachers teaching in an accredited non-public elementary and secondary educational institution, as well as Education Service Center or other district educators.

The Waco SAI is set for June 9-12 in at the TFB Conference and Training Center. Registration closes May 15.

The Rosenberg SAI will be held July 15-18 at the Rosenberg Civic Center. Registration closes June 12.

The cost for each event is $375 per person, which includes lodging and most meals, but sponsorships from the local county Farm Bureau are often available. Teachers will be notified of their sponsorship status after registration is complete.

For more information and to register, visit texasfarmbureau.org/aitc or contact TFB’s Educational Outreach team at 254.751.2258 or edoutreach@txfb.org.

Additional information on other educational opportunities can also be found at texasfarmbureau.org/aitc.