WEST DES MOINES, Iowa – February 4, 2019– The Iowa Agriculture Literacy Foundation (IALF) has awarded 165 grants to schools throughout Iowa to support the integration of agriculture into classroom instruction or after school programs with an academic focus.

 

 

The Agriculture in the Classroom Teacher Supplement Grants are designed to help teachers initiate new projects or expand existing projects that promote agriculture literacy in students.  Grants can be used to fund innovative lessons, activities, classroom resources, guest speakers, outreach programs, fieldtrips and other projects.

 

 

One grant recipient, Karen Bouska, commented, “Being raised in Iowa on a century farm in Franklin County, I sincerely appreciate the opportunity to teach about agriculture in the classroom.” 

 

 

Some of the innovative applicants will be conducting projects this spring including aquaponics, water quality, farm-to-fork projects, dairy field trips and agricultural history tours.  Successful applicants will use these agricultural experiences to teach language arts, social studies and a variety of other concepts already taught in their classrooms.

 

 

“This year’s wide range of grant projects really show how agriculture can be used to teach a number of different subjects,” said IALF education program manager, Cindy Hall.  “Projects will allow teachers to make learning real and relevant for their students and still align to state educational standards.”

 

 

The grants are a special project of IALF and made possible through support from the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation.  

 

 

“We are pleased to provide this support for teachers in their classrooms,” said Ronnette Vondrak, Iowa Farm Bureau Federation (IFBF) community resources manager.  “Agricultural literacy is an important aspect of the IFBF goal to build understanding of the value of Iowa agriculture.”

 

 

Clarke Elementary School principal, Jill Kiger, said, “Thank you for this award. Tara is so excited, and our building is thrilled to support her efforts. Thank you again for choosing this project!”

 

 

The projects will be completed before the end of the school year with final reports submitted by June 5, 2019. For more information, visit www.iowaagliteracy.org.  The following are award recipients:

 

 

Makayla Streeter, Acre Homeschool Cooperative

 

 

Debbie Powell, Bedford Elementary School

 

 

Alec Clark, Bettendorf Middle School

 

 

Chelsey Boldt, Blue Grass Elementary School

 

 

Julie Burhoop, Boyer Valley

 

 

Sarah Malone, Boyer Valley

 

 

Rebekah Gross, Boyer Valley Elementary

 

 

Savanna Bachus, Calamus Wheatland Secondary

 

 

Sheryl Kennedy, Camanche Elementary School

 

 

Jacquelyn Panos, Carrie Lee Elementary

 

 

Katie Casterton, Carrie Lee Elementary

 

 

Karen Klotzbach, Carrie Lee Elementary

 

 

Jennifer DeLaRosa, Carrie Lee Elementary School

 

 

Stacy Knight, Carrie Lee Elementary School

 

 

Jill Weber, Carroll Community Schools

 

 

Sarah Buswell, Carroll Community Schools

 

 

Kelly Neumann, Carver Elementary

 

 

Jane Boffeli, Cascade Elementary

 

 

Sara Lehr, Central City

 

 

Sandee Smith, Central Decatur South Elementary

 

 

Amy Grantz, Central DeWitt High School

 

 

Stephanie Lukavsky, Chariton Middle School

 

 

Joyce Keeling, Clarion-Goldfield-Dows

 

 

Tara Norman, Clarke Elementary School

 

 

Sara Lawrence, Clayton Ridge Elementary

 

 

Jill Stannard, Clayton Ridge Elementary School

 

 

Brian Lawrence, Clayton Ridge Middle School

 

 

Melanie Marreel, Clear Creek Elementary

 

 

Cory Behrens, Coon Rapids-Bayard Elementary

 

 

Stephanie Spain, Cora B. Darling Elementary

 

 

Tamra Foster, Crestwood Elementary School

 

 

Mary Vachta, Crestwood Elementary School

 

 

Melissa Johnston, Decorah West Side Early Childhood Center

 

 

Tara Hemele, Delwood Elementary

 

 

Jill Eberhart, Delwood Elementary

 

 

Ronda Rathe, Dunkerton Community School

 

 

Robynn Anderson, Early Learning Center

 

 

Julie Connor, East Elementary

 

 

Mike Cooley, East Union Community Schools

 

 

Tess Callen, East Union High School .

 

 

Linda Tegeler, Ed-Co

 

 

Amanda Brink, Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont High School

 

 

Jamie Easley, Eleanor Roosevelt Middle School

 

 

Tonya Ryan, Elk Run Early Childhood Center

 

 

Donita Schmitz, Elk Run Preschool

 

 

Christy Bryant, Erskine

 

 

Jen Rohrbeck, Fairview Elementary

 

 

Holly Warnke, Fairview Elementary

 

 

Amanda Doud, Oskaloosa Elementary School

 

 

Keri Murphy, Oskaloosa Elementary School

 

 

Dana Sereg, Oskaloosa Elementary School

 

 

Heather Swanstrom, Ottumwa High School

 

 

Steven Hameister, Panorama Community Schools

 

 

Angela Greiner, Pekin Elementary School

 

 

Melissa Sifert, Richard O Jacobson

 

 

Paige Volkens, Riverside Elementary School

 

 

Brad Taylor, Roland-Story

 

 

Angela Carver, Roosevelt Elementary

 

 

Brenda Stanley, Sacred Heart School

 

 

Jenevieve George, Scattergood Friends School and Farm

 

 

Heidi LaBounty, Seeds of Faith

 

 

jennifer mauro, Seeds of Faith

 

 

Janet Mack, Seeds of Faith

 

 

Christine Kennedy, Seeds of Faith Early Learning Center

 

 

Tami Little, Sergeant Bluff-Luton Elementary School

 

 

Kyle Cleveringa, Sioux Center Middle School

 

 

Gene Folsom, South Central Calhoun Middle School

 

 

James Green, St. Ansgar Community Schools

 

 

Kelly Popp, St. Ansgar Elementary

 

 

Sheila Schulz, St. Ansgar Elementary

 

 

Kathleen Drey, St. Francis of Assisi School

 

 

Jenn Herold, St.Joseph Community School

 

 

Sunshine Huisman, Step Ahead Childcare and Preschool

 

 

Carrie Fellinger, Strawberry Hill Elementary

 

 

John Hebrink, Franklin Middle School

 

 

Allison Vallad, Franklin Middle School

 

 

Amanda Boyer, Franklin Middle School

 

 

Shannon Tesch, Galva-Holstein Elementary School

 

 

Julie Wiese, Galva-Holstein Lower Elementary

 

 

Jessica Jensen, Galva-Holstein Lower Elementary

 

 

Sydney Kinzer, Galva-Holstein Lower Elementary

 

 

Emily Thompson, Garfield Elementary

 

 

Joni Tickle, Gilbert Elementary School

 

 

Jennifer Wrage, Gladbrook-Reinbeck Elementary

 

 

Lindsay Plett, Gladbrook-Reinbeck Elementary School

 

 

McKaylie Croghan, Glidden-Ralston CDS

 

 

Denise DeBruin, Grant Elementary

 

 

Megan Trader, Grant Ragan Elementary

 

 

Lisa Johnson, Grant Wood Elementary School

 

 

Carrie Taylor, Highland Elementary

 

 

Sarah Allison, Hubbard-Radcliffe Elem.

 

 

Tracy Curtis, Independence Community School District

 

 

Cheryl Huebner, John Cline Elementary
Shanna Putnam Dibble, John Cline Elementary School

 

 

Jennifer Schlader, Kittrell Elementary

 

 

Deborah Errthum, LaSalle Catholic School

 

 

Gail Farber, Lincoln Elementary

 

 

Angela Boyd, Lincoln Elementary

 

 

Miranda Olsen, Little Royals

 

 

Mary Jo Hanson, Maple Valley Elementary

 

 

Molly Petersen, Mapleton Elementary

 

 

Sarah Schmidt, Mapleton Elementary

 

 

Ronda MacClure, Mapleton Elementary School

 

 

Amanda Seuntjens, Marcus Elementary

 

 

Sally Hofmann, Marion Home School Assistance Program

 

 

Adam Davis, Martensdale-St. Marys

 

 

Tammy Dillinger, Mayflower Christian School

 

 

Susan Maitlen, Mayflower School

 

 

Dawn Colsch, MFL MarMac Middle School

 

 

Angela Pape, MFLMarMac

 

 

Kendra Keller, Milo Primary School

 

 

Samantha Schroeder, MMCRU

 

 

Angie Schnepf, MMCRU Marcus

 

 

kate reuter, MMCRU Royals

 

 

Jennifer Thompson, Nashua-Plainfield Elementary

 

 

Theresa Knutson, New Hampton Elementary

 

 

April Schmitt, New Hampton High School

 

 

Amy Freese, Newell Fonda Elementary

 

 

Lisa Christiansen, Newell-Fonda

 

 

Kayla Wingert, Newell-Fonda

 

 

Julie Sievers, Newell-Fonda CSD

 

 

Jared Elsen, Newell-Fonda Elementary

 

 

Courtney Darrow, Newell-Fonda Lower Elem.

 

 

Susan Hess, Newell-Fonda School

 

 

Jennifer Jensen, North Cedar Elementary

 

 

Laura Schroeder, North Cedar Elementary Community School

 

 

Dean Behrens, North Cedar Elementary Lowden

 

 

Miranda Johnson, North Mahaska Community School District

 

 

Kari Albert, Notre Dame

 

 

Rachel Kuboushek, Notre Dame Catholic School

 

 

Stacey Snyder, Orange Elementary

 

 

Savanna Mason, Oskaloosa Elementary

 

 

Liz Roe, Oskaloosa Elementary

 

 

Stephanie Roberts, Oskaloosa Elementary

 

 

Kahlie Green, Oskaloosa Elementary

 

 

Kimberly Prendergast, Oskaloosa Elementary

 

 

Evie Milbrandt, Turkey Valley

 

 

April Schmitt, Turkey Valley Community Schools

 

 

Dawn Stoakes, Union HS

 

 

Allison Pattee, University of Northern Iowa Child Development Center

 

 

Joni Gilchrist, Walnut Hills Elementary

 

 

Laura Stallsmith, Washington Elementary

 

 

Lisa Hemphill, WCV Comm School

 

 

Megan Ginther, Webster City Middle School

 

 

Megan Kostka, Webster City Middle School

 

 

Melissa Lammers, Webster City Middle School

 

 

Joey Lapel, West Campus

 

 

Carla Even, West Central Elementary

 

 

Ann Reynolds, West Des Moines Schools

 

 

Annalee Hollingsworth, West High School

 

 

Kellie Knight, West High School

 

 

Jill Krueger, West Monona Elementary

 

 

Del Brink, Western Hills Elementary

 

 

Vicki Winterlin, Westwood Community School

 

 

Jennifer Bakke, Whiting Community

 

 

Kali Boynton, Whiting Elementary

 

 

Tabitha Ann Unternahrer, Winfield Mt. Union CSD

 

 

Karen Bouska, Wings Park Elementary

 

 

Hannah Blum, Woodbine Community School

 

 

Megan Kuhlmann, Woodbine Schools

 

 

Danielle Peckenpaugh, Woodbine Schools

 

 

SHYLA BREMER, Woodbury Central

 

 

Amy Jolivette, Woodrow Wilson Elementary

 

 

Nichole Kading, Y.O.U.R. INC.

 

 

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About the Iowa Agriculture Literacy Foundation
IALF serves as a central resource for educators and volunteers who want 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 9 billion by 2050. IALF believes it is important for all Iowans to understand the essential role agriculture has in their lives. IALF will support 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 and Smokestacks Foundation, DuPont Pioneer, GROWMARK, and the Iowa Beef Industry Council. For more information visit IALF online at IowaAgLiteracy.org, on Facebook, and Twitter.

 

 

Source:
Iowa Agriculture Literacy Foundation

 

 

Contact:
Will Fett, Executive Director
Iowa Agriculture Literacy Foundation
WFett@IowaAgLiteracy.org
515-331-4182

 

 

Publish Date:
2/4/2019