To interest K-12 students in finding out more about where their food comes from, and how they can pursue various careers in agriculture, agricultural literacy programs have been launched nationwide. Teachers need to understand agriculture themselves before they can integrate concepts about agriculture into their lesson plans. The University of Arizona Cooperative Extension, with funding from the Arizona Foundation for Agricultural Literacy, has conducted a five-day Summer Agricultural Institute for Teachers every summer for ten years. The Institute educates participants about the Arizona agricultural industry and encourages them to incorporate this knowledge into their classroom activities. The Institute combines hands-on learning about agriculture with practical curriculum development.
Participants receive lesson plans, videos, and other take-home materials.
Many of the teachers have little or no knowledge of the agricultural industry. They visit agricultural operations, stay with farm families and interact with the owners and managers of these businesses, to better understand the technical aspects of agriculture in Arizona, and the wide range of agricultural operations and career opportunities. Impact From 1990-2000 a total of 209 educators have attended the Summer Agricultural Institute. Twenty-three percent developed their own curriculum based on concepts taught at the Institute. Seventeen percent received graduate level credit through the UA for completing the Institute program.