Nominations being accepted for 2024 Iowa Excellence in Teaching about Agriculture
Published
10/17/2024
West Des Moines, Iowa – October 17, 2024 – Across Iowa, passionate educators are enriching their students’ learning experiences by seamlessly incorporating agriculture into their classrooms. To recognize and celebrate these exceptional efforts, the Iowa Agriculture Literacy Foundation offers its annual Excellence in Teaching About Agriculture Award.
This award is open to non-vocational pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade teachers across Iowa. It aims to honor an educator who has creatively integrated agriculture into their teaching to highlight the importance of food and agriculture and increase students’ agriculture literacy. An agriculturally literate person understands and can communicate the significance and value of food and agriculture as it affects quality of life.
Applications are being accepted through November 17, 2024, and the winner will be selected and recognized in December. The selected Iowa teacher will receive $500 to support their classroom initiatives and up to $1,000 to cover expenses to attend the 2025 National Agriculture in the Classroom Conference to be held in Minneapolis, Minn. June 23 – 26, 2025.
Exceptional educators will demonstrate innovative approaches to integrating food and agriculture into their classroom. Agriculture can be the vehicle to teach a multitude of other content areas and apply these concepts in a relevant way for Iowa students. Creative teachers will help students make connections between food production, health, energy systems, economics, environment, and their interconnectedness in agriculture. Pioneering teachers will help students connect to STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) careers.
Last year’s winner, Melissa James, is a Center Point-Urbana, high school science teacher. She integrates agriculture learning into several different areas of classroom programs. In biology classes, her students study GMO issues, microbiomes, and the differences between cow and human digestion. Botany students participate in sod farm and FarmChat® programming learning about nitrogen cycles, ethanol production, root and soil structures as well as many other agriculture topics. James has also developed a successful garden club for the school and community.
Teachers can apply directly or be nominated by community members, colleagues, or agriculture advocates. Nominations serve to encourage teachers to apply by recognizing their outstanding contributions. All applicants, including nominated teachers, must apply officially by November 17.
For more information or to apply online visit: https://www.iowaagliteracy.org/tools-resources/general/grants.