By Julie Tomascik
Editor

Opportunities to use agriculture as an educational component in the classroom are endless. Now, teachers can receive scholarships to learn more about resources and ways to incorporate agriculture in the classroom.

Teachers interested in attending the National Agriculture in the Classroom Conference this summer can apply for financial assistance from Texas Farm Bureau (TFB) to help offset some of the costs.

The conference, set for June 26-29 in Orlando, Florida, is designed to show teachers of all grade levels how agricultural concepts can be used in subjects such as reading, writing, math, science, social studies, nutrition and more.

Participants will tour farms, ranches and agricultural businesses. They will also hear from leading educators from around the country and participate in engaging learning sessions to take home ideas and resources to incorporate into their classrooms.

“TFB believes in providing valuable professional development opportunities to teachers as they seek to incorporate agriculture into their classrooms,” said Jordan Bartels, TFB associate director of Organization Division, Educational Outreach. “This conference is considered the premier national conference for this type of professional development, so TFB decided to offer this opportunity to Texas teachers so more students can benefit from the information shared at the conference.”

TFB will award scholarships to five Texas teachers.

The scholarships will help cover the conference registration fee, airfare or mileage to Orlando up to $700, lodging and meals, reimbursed upon conference attendance.

“Ultimately, this opportunity helps TFB reach our goal of increasing agricultural literacy among students throughout the state,” Bartels said. “If you know a teacher hungry for more information about agriculture, encourage them to apply for this scholarship and to attend the conference.”

Eligible applicants include active classroom teachers of kindergarten through twelfth grade who have not previously attended the conference.

The deadline to apply for the conference scholarships is Jan. 23. Teachers can apply online at texasfarmbureau.org/aitc.

For more information on the scholarships or other Ag in the Classroom opportunities, contact edoutreach@txfb.org or call 254-751-2569.