October 2022 | Issue #133 |
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*make sure to click "View entire message" to get access to the full newsletter!* |
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White-Reinhardt Grants
The White-Reinhardt Grant Program funds projects that will increase agricultural literacy. County and state Farm Bureaus may apply for up to $1,000 grants for education programs for grades K-12 in order to initiate new ag literacy programs or expand existing programs. Grants are available on a competitive basis. Applications are due October 15th.
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Bee Grants
In partnership with the Bee Cause Project, the Whole Kids Foundation's Bee Grants are now open. These grant programs support schools and non-profit organizations by offering educational beehives and bee programming. Students can observe bees up close and learn about the vital role these pollinators play in our food system. Deadline is October 15! Learn more here.
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Kids Gardening Budding Botanist Grant
20 schools will receive $1,000 in funding to support the development of new and expansion of existing gardens that teach students about environmental sustainability and the importance of biodiversity. The deadline for application submission is Friday, October 14th. Learn more here.
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Maine Agriculture in the Classroom Grants
We are now accepting applications for ALL CATEGORIES of grants for our December 13th deadline! Up to $2,000! Get your cool ag projects funded!
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South Bristol School - Fall Updates! |
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Deb Thibodeau, guidance counselor at South Bristol School, received a MAITC scholarship and attended the National Agriculture in the Classroom conference in Saratoga Springs, NY this past June. Deb thoroughly enjoyed her time at the conference and hit the ground running once school started up! Students have been busy in the garden and with their bees. The bees swarmed this summer out of one hive, so they've had to deal with that. The garden's produce is being picked daily by classrooms for the cafeteria, which has been much appreciated by their Chef, Miss Elaine. The kids are busy planting in the greenhouse for some late fall crops, they hope to get some greens for salads at lunch. Much reading is going on in the classrooms with all of the new Ag books from the conference and the kids have come to expect that she will bring a book about butterflies, bees, or gardening! They also just received a grant from Cool Beans to do cultural lessons and culinary work in all of the classrooms. Exciting things happening in South Bristol! Great work Mrs. Thibodeau! |
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Our Annual Meeting will be held Thursday, October 27th at 5:30pm at the Maine State Grange in Augusta. RSVP to maitc@maine.gov
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Maine School Garden Network Annual Meeting |
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When: Friday November 4th
Where: Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, Boothbay, ME
Theme: Using the School Garden to Help Our Students, Schools, and Communities Heal.
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Before the meeting begins, there is a professional development opportunity from 2-4pm with trained Horticultural Therapist, Irene Barber, who will lead a session on horticulture therapy and how it can be applied in the school setting. Participants will be guided through doing a therapeutic garden activity, recognizing the step by step approach to emphasize the process, rather than the finished product. Interested educators can request CEU credits for the program. (0.2 CEUs) Please be sure to register for this session at checkout if you plan to attend.
Before the annual report begins there will be a potluck meal. Please reach out to rachel@msgn.org if you plan to bring anything. A Business Meeting follows the program and includes an election of officers plus recaps the activities and accomplishments of the year. After the meeting there are great door prizes! Guests will have the chance to win a pair of Felco pruners! Compost from Benson Farms, pollinator-related giveaways from Wyman's, and complimentary copies of ChopChop magazines will also be available!
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Summer Teacher's Institute 2023 |
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Summer Teachers Institute 2023 will be held in Aroostook County!
26 Contact Hours or 2.6 CEU’s.
Watch Closely for dates and upcoming information!
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Call for Workshop Proposals! |
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The National Agriculture in the Classroom Organization is now accepting workshop proposals for the 2023 National Conference "Beyond The Beaches" set for Orlando, Florida,
June 26-29, 2023.
This premier professional development event for Pre-K through 12th-grade teachers, volunteers, and professionals in agricultural literacy will provide tools, techniques, and inspiration to include food and agriculture as a lens for learning. We encourage you to submit a proposal if you have lessons and resources to share!
Proposals must demonstrate how the workshop uses agricultural concepts to meet the National Agricultural Literacy Outcomes (NALOs) and teach reading, writing, math, nutrition, science, STEM, social studies and other subject areas. Proposals must reach elementary, middle school, high school, or all grade levels.
The selected workshop's primary presenter will receive $50 off their conference registration. Applicants will be notified in December of workshop selections.
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Professional Development Opportunity |
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Window to the Woods
A Forest-based Webinar Series for Educators
Earn up to 9 contact hours for this 6-part series focused on incorporating Maine's forests into the classroom with Maine TREE and Maine Project Learning Tree. We'll discuss different forestry concepts and multi-disciplinary curriculum with experts in the field and seasoned classroom educators who have introduced the topics with their students. Each participant will receive an access code for Project Learning Tree's standards-aligned environmental education curriculum guide.
Cost: FREE
Fall Schedule:
- October 11, 2022 – Forest Biology and Ecology
- November 15, 2022- Forest Management
- December 13, 2022 – Maine’s Wood Products
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Journey 2050 Program Updates! |
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Have you checked out the Journey 2050 program? There is something for everyone! Curriculum topics include sustainability, soil, water, economy, geography, culture, careers, agriculture technology and project-based learning. These lessons align with core subject needs and meet NGSS standards. Create your free teacher account to start your Journey! Check out this document for the latest program updates - including a new farm family located in the US, and "deep dives" to add to your curriculum!
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Harvest of the Month - October is Maine Apples! |
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Click here for the great Harvest of the Month (HOM) materials - posters, fact sheets, recipes, social media promo, and more!
All of our HOM Resource Pages can be found on our Teach ME site under "Teaching Units"
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Teacher Resources Section |
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People Need Plants. Grades PreK-2. Students will be able to identify parts of a plant and recognize the importance of plants in our daily diet. They will learn new vocabulary and use these in activities pertaining to their own eating habits.
Squash. Grades K-5. Students will be able to explain the history of squash and locate where it is grown on a Maine map. They will be able to explain what part of the plant squash is, the growing season and its nutritional benefits. Students will be able to explain how foods with vitamin A keep us healthy and write a persuasive letter that includes squash. Students will also be able to participate in composting activities.
From Sea to Shining Sea. Grades 4-9. Students complete a United States map showing the locations of the states, their capitals, and the top five agricultural commodities in each state. They then identify and graph the top five commodities nationally after compiling the information.
A Picture is Worth 1,000 Words. Grades 6-8. The student’s goal in this lesson is to define biodiversity. They will do so by gathering, organizing, and analyzing information and creating a visual aid to help them better understand the meaning.
Surrounded by Plants. Grades 9-12. Students identify the importance of plants to human life by surveying their home and neighborhood for plant products used for medicine, aesthetics, fuel products, fiber, and food.
Nutrition Across a Lifespan. Grades 9-12. Students will trace the energy and nutrition requirements of the human lifecycle from beginning to end and identify the physical and cognitive growth happening in each phase of life.
Looking for more? Explore the Agricultural Literacy Curriculum Matrix HERE
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Garlic Growing Guide. Check out this resource for information on how to plant, grow, and harvest garlic.
Crop Cards. Double-sided cards representing ten agricultural crops. Each card shows the plant in each stage of growth, explains how and when it is planted and harvested and describes its use as feed for animals or food for humans. The cards can be printed from the attached PDF or prints can be ordered from the Nebraska Foundation for Agricultural Awareness.
Botany on Your Plate: Investigating Plants We Eat. This investigative science curriculum introduces the world of plants to elementary school students through foods we eat. Watch children's understanding of our world grow as they partake in hands-on activities that explore edible roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits, and seeds through observation, dissection, journaling, discussion of findings, and, of course, tasting! This book can be used in educators' instruction to support standards in nutrition, math, language arts, and social studies. Every lesson includes plant snacks that spark curiosity, interesting questions, and social dialogue to fuel the learning process.
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More funding opportunities are listed from some of our friends:
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ReTreeUS plants orchards in schools and provides educational programs that empower people to be healthy environmental stewards.
Fuel Up to Play 60 offers educators a wide array of resources they can use to help students make sustainable changes in their school environment.
Agroworld is an agricultural science e-zine developed for the secondary educator.
KidsGardening has ideas about plants and gardens, teacher resources, and grant opportunities.
The Chop Chop magazine and website has easy and healthy recipes.
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This document is a compilation of agriculture related resources to be used in virtual and remote learning.
Pictures, videos, and words are hyperlinked throughout the document.
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Funding from this plate has impacted up to 200,000 students annually with lessons, materials, volunteers and teacher training. Annually up to $60K is distributed in grants to schools, FFA, 4-H and other Non-profit programs for Ag education initiatives by the Maine Agriculture in the Classroom Council.
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Donate today to The Maine Agriculture in the Classroom Association
The Non-profit, completely volunteer, portion of MAITC. These funds are used directly to support teacher scholarships and recognition, and support volunteer participation for Ag education programs. Your donation is completely tax deductible and you can make a one-time donation or a recurring monthly donation which will support the mission, "to promote the understanding of agriculture and natural resources among students, educators, and the general public." If you have any other questions or would like to join this group please contact the chairman, Maryjane Stafford. Donate Here.
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Our Mission Statement
"To promote the understanding of agriculture and natural resources among students, educators, and the general public"
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28 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333
(207)287-5522
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