 "We appreciate the commitment AT&T shows to the entire state of
Illinois," said Susan Moore, director of the Illinois Farm
Bureau's IAA Foundation. "By investing in a program like IAITC,
urban and rural students alike benefit from understanding how
important our farmers are. It's a welcome sign to have a partner
like AT&T who sees how making that connection from farm to fork
is so vital today, particularly for the livelihood of our
agriculture community."Paul La Schiazza, AT&T president,
added that supporting the Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom
program is about more than helping kids learn about agriculture
-- it's about preparing students for the future.
"At AT&T, we recognize that our people are our most critical
resource," La Schiazza said. "So we invest in education because
we want to ensure the next generation of leaders and workers is
prepared to meet the great challenges of a global economy.
Today, we are proud to support the Agriculture in the Classroom
program to ensure that the next generation fully appreciates the
benefits of agriculture to the people and the economy of
Illinois."
As a result of AT&T's donation, the program is able to
distribute the Illinois Agriculture School Calendar to more than
25,000 classrooms. This education tool, a staple of the
Agriculture in the Classroom program, features a different
agriculture theme each month, often related to the time of year
and topics of interest. Daily "Ag Facts" keep students engaged
in learning about the importance of agriculture and how it helps
put food on their tables. Other teacher-favorite features
include nutrition information, vocabulary words and suggested
reading.
"The Illinois Agriculture Calendar works seamlessly in
conjunction with other IAITC materials," said Kevin Daugherty,
director of education for Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom.
"Students look forward to reading the daily ‘Ag Fact' on the
calendar. In fact, teachers tell us that often students will
remind them that they need to read their ag fact for the day if
she forgets. It's truly a great way to keep agriculture a part
of education every day."
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The Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom program has a rich history
of being the agriculture education resource for teachers to use in
classrooms. All of its lessons meet Illinois Learning Standards, and
teachers use the program to enhance their existing curriculum. A
network of county coordinators and volunteers deliver programs and
materials with accurate agriculture content to teachers and children
in all 102 Illinois counties. Universities and public school systems
recognize the program as the source for training teachers and
educating children about the importance of agriculture, including
the role it plays in providing healthy food choices to achieve a
nutritious diet.
The Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom program is the top
funding priority of the IAA Foundation, Illinois Farm Bureau's
charitable foundation. Funding from agribusiness and related
industries, state government, commodity groups, and individual
donors helps the foundation reach its annual goals to raise funds to
implement the classroom programming and provide teaching resources
throughout the state of Illinois.
___
Online:
Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom:
http://www.agintheclassroom.org/
[Text from file received from
Illinois Farm Bureau]
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