West Des Moines, Iowa – Professional development workshops for teachers and educators will be offered throughout the summer and around the state by the Iowa Agriculture Literacy Foundation (IALF) and partner organizations. 

Each summer, IALF partners with host locations to offer two-day professional development opportunities for teachers. Using agriculture as the context to teach Iowa Core standards, participants will integrate agriculture into science, social studies, language arts, and math to make learning real and relevant for students. 

“Teachers will leave the workshop with instructional strategies, lessons, and activities that can be immediately implemented into their classroom with little or no additional effort,” said Kelly Foss, IALF Executive Director. “Student engagement and impact will be high with hands-on learning.”

The workshops will be interactive with one day of site visits and tours of farms and agribusiness, and one day of practical classroom application. The workshops are free to attend and will be available for teacher recertification credit and graduate level credit. 

The dates and locations of the workshops are:

  •  June 7-8 in Storm Lake, Iowa; 
  • June 12-13 in Peosta, Iowa; 
  • June 15-16 in Pella, Iowa; 
  • June 19-20 in Manchester, Iowa; 
  • June 21-22 in Audubon, Iowa; 
  • July 18-19 in Clear Lake, Iowa; 
  • July 25-26 in Calmar, Iowa; and
  • Aug. 1-2 in Fairfield, Iowa. 

See the IALF website for full description of each workshop and registration information: https://www.iowaagliteracy.org/tools-resources/general/professional-development. 

Workshops are made possible by supporters of the Iowa Agriculture Literacy Foundation including the Iowa Corn Growers Association, Iowa Farm Bureau Federation, Iowa Pork Producers Association, GROWMARK, Iowa Soybean Association, Iowa Beef Industry Council, Corteva Agriscience, Silos and Smokestacks National Heritage Area, and the National Agriculture in the Classroom Organization. To find out more about workshops in your area visit www.IowaAgLiteracy.org, email info@iowaagliteracy.org or call 515-331-4182.

About the Iowa Agriculture Literacy Foundation
IALF serves as a central resource for educators and volunteers to help support and inspire them to teach Iowa’s students about agriculture. The mission is to educate Iowans, with a focus on youth, regarding the breadth and global significance of agriculture. Iowa is a leading producer of agricultural products that are essential to feed a growing world population, estimated to reach more than nine billion by 2050. IALF believes it is important for all Iowans to understand the essential role agriculture has in their lives. IALF supports existing agriculture education efforts such as FFA, 4-H and Ag in the Classroom. IALF was created through a joint effort of agricultural stakeholders, including the Iowa Corn Growers Association, Iowa Farm Bureau Federation, Iowa Pork Producers Association, Iowa Soybean Association, Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage Area, Corteva Agriscience, GROWMARK, and the Iowa Beef Industry Council. For more information visit IALF online at www.IowaAgLiteracy.org, on Facebook, and Twitter.