 "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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