The Iowa Corn Promotion Board (ICPB) is sponsoring the 2021 National Agriculture in the Classroom Conference “Fields of Dreams” scheduled for June 28-July 1 at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines, Iowa to educate the hundreds of teachers in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade (Pre-K-12) who will attend about Iowa’s top crop and the hundreds of consumer products that come from it.

Strengthening Pre-K-12 agricultural literacy is the mission of the National Agriculture in the Classroom Organization (NAITCO) and its Agriculture in the Classroom (AITC) state and territory program members, and the national conference is one of the primary ways the organization and its state program members meet their mission.

“Most young Americans are several generations removed from the farm and have little knowledge about the corn industry,” said ICPB President and farmer from Independence, Iowa Greg Albert . “We strive to ensure consumers understand the ways in which agriculture impacts their everyday lives, and how one commodity provides hundreds of essential daily products. We want future generations to build a meaningful connection to their food, fiber and fuel no matter where they live.”

“The Iowa Corn Promotion Board’s OR ICPB support is an indication that the industry sees the need and value of agricultural education resources in our schools and we are excited to partner with them,” said Tammy Maxey, president of NAITCO and programs director of Virginia Agriculture in the Classroom. “With their partnership, we can continue to reach youth across the nation and help equip our educators with resources to teach students the vital role agriculture plays in all our lives daily and build a greater understanding of the importance of the industry.”

NAITCO and its AITC state and territory program members reached 87,000 teachers and 8.2 million students in Pre-K through 12th grade in the U.S. in 2019.

 

About Iowa Corn Promotion Board

The Iowa Corn Promotion Board (ICPB), works to develop and defend markets, fund research, and provide education about corn and corn products. For more information, visit iowacorn.org.

About National Agriculture in the Classroom Organization (NAITCO)

NAITCO’s mission is to increase agricultural literacy through Pre-K-12 education and it does so with an online, searchable database of lessons and resources called the National Agricultural Literacy Curriculum Matrix, a national conference, a virtual conference, a national teacher awards program and professional development and support for Agriculture in the Classroom state programs in most of the 50 states and the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. To learn more about NAITCO, please visit agclassroom.org.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT LISA GASKALLA AT (352) 745-0246 OR LISA.GASKALLA@NAITCO.ORG