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April 4th - MAITC K-8 Teacher Workshop | | | |
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Join Maine Agriculture in the Classroom for a day long K-8 teacher workshop at Woodlawn Museum in Ellsworth! Teachers will receive lessons, resources and training to integrate agriculture into core curriculum subjects. All lessons and activities are tied to Maine Learning Standards, NGSS and the Common Core.
All participants will receive 6 contact hours or .6 CEU's from the University of Maine.
There will be hands-on lesson demonstrations, materials for your classroom, online resources shared, and lunch is included!
When: April 4, 2024
Where: Woodlawn Museum, Ellsworth, ME
The cost for this workshop is $40.
Find more information and registration here.
Deadline to register: March 22nd.
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We are THRILLED for this year's Read ME Agriculture program with readings starting in schools in just the next couple weeks!
We are especially excited that author of the book, Holly Thompson will be a guest reader at schools in MSAD#51.
Check out the accompanying Educator Guide to prepare for your participation in the program.
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MAITC Summer Teacher's Institute | | |
Through tours, presentations from industry experts, and hands-on lesson exploration, you will be inspired and prepared to share the world of agriculture with your students. PreK-12 formal and informal educators in all disciplines from across the state and beyond are welcome. Participants will receive 38 contact hours or 3.8 CEU's from the University of Maine for re-certification credit. Scholarships are also available for Maine teachers – apply by email to maitc@maine.gov. | | | |
Maine Farm & Sea to School Institute | | |
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APPLICATIONS ARE OPEN! The Maine Farm & Sea to School Institute brings school teams together to build relationships, skills, and a collaborative action plan for Farm & Sea to School (FSTS) programming. Team members leave ready to support one another and implement an FSTS action plan across their school or district - building shared leadership for the long haul. With the support of a Coach, teams spend the Institute year connecting Classroom, Cafeteria, and Community.
Apply by March 15, 2024. Learn more on the MFSN website. Apply here.
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Maine School Garden Network's Maine School Garden Day will be Saturday, May 18th at Kingfield Elementary School. | |
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The day will include:
- Keynote Address: School Gardens 101: Top 10 Tips for Launching and Maintaining a Successful Program by Laura Hoeft
- Breakout groups by county to network with peers
- Great food
- Workshop topics: Wild Foods in Education for Ecological Literacy, How to Fund School Garden Projects, The Procrastinator's Garden: late season planting strategies, Curriculum Development, Cooking and Nutrition with Students, Garden and garden educator skills acquisition
- Great door prizes and community!
More details and a full agenda on the registration page.
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Maine Solutionaries Project
The Interdisciplinary Instruction (II) team at the Maine DOE and the Maine-based Institute for Humane Education (IHE) are excited to partner in offering free high-quality customized professional learning and resources for teachers who want to educate their students to be Solutionaries! Up to 200 teachers will have the opportunity to earn their Solutionary Micro-credential from IHE between now and the end of September. Teachers who complete the program will receive stipends of $1000. These educators will join 24 colleagues from rural schools across Maine who participated in a grant-funded pilot project during the 2023-2024 school year and are using IHE’s Solutionary Framework to facilitate Think Global, Act Local projects. You can learn more about this collaboration, register for an informational webinar, or register for the project by visiting the Maine Solutionaries Project website.
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FoodCorps is Hiring
FoodCorps Maine is hiring for multiple positions! With two position "tracks" you can either focus on School Nutrition by helping cafeterias serve more of the foods that celebrate kids' cultures & communities, OR Food Education, teaching kids to grow & cook those foods in the classroom or garden! Learn more and apply here!
Positions start in August 2024 and go for 11 months. This is a full-time, year long, paid opportunity to nourish kids’ health, education, and sense of belonging by working in classrooms, gardens, kitchens, and cafeterias. The deadline to apply is March 29th.
There is also a referral program - for each service member that you refer who serves for at least 90 days, they'll give you $250! Know anyone that would be a good candidate? Encourage them to apply!
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On The Farm STEM - Science Through the Lens of Agriculture
FREE Professional Development for High School Educators
Louisville & Lexington, KY
July 16-19, 2024
On The Farm STEM is an all expenses-paid professional development and immersive learning program for high school science educators. This experience will showcase food, agriculture, and beef production as meaningful contexts for science teaching and learning that will inspire today’s students, our next generation of scientists and citizens, to take action and feel empowered to use food and agriculture to improve society.
Applications Close April 1st, 2024
Find more info and application here.
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Nutrients For Life Foundation Opportunities
Fertilizer Fun Box: Each Fertilizer Fun Box contains multiple hands-on educational soil science activities that focus on the importance of soil and fertilizer. This year's boxes will contain soil samples from various states. Watch as your students explore the compositions of soils across the nation. Sign up here. Questions? Contact Melissa Bigge.
Digital Contest: Fertilizers play a crucial role in addressing the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This contest focuses on UN Goal #2, Zero Hunger, and aims to encourage young minds to explore and creatively showcase the importance of fertilizers in achieving these worldwide objectives. Prizes include $5,000 for 1st place, $3,000 for 2nd place, and $1,500 for 3rd place, along with two honorable mentions receiving $750 each. Find more contest info here.
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MAITC Grant Applications are OPEN! | | |
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In 2024 $70K is earmarked for grants in multiple categories! This support of Maine agriculture education in grades Pre-Kindergarten through 12 is a direct result of the Maine Agricultural Specialty License Plate. Submit your application to support your endeavor using agriculture as a context for learning! More information about our grants program and links to applications can be found on our website.
DEADLINES:
Category 1 - Agricultural Awareness Grant - Up to $1,000: 4pm on August 30, 2024.
Category 2 - Agricultural Awareness Grant - Up to $2,000: 4pm on August 30, 2024.
Category 3 - School Garden & Greenhouse Grant - Up to $2,000: 4pm on August 30, 2024.
Category 4 - Agriculture Leadership Grant - Up to $1,000: The revolving deadline is 4pm on: June 28, August 30, and December 13, 2024.
Category 5 - Statewide Agriculture Education Organization Grant - Up to $2,000: The revolving deadline is 4pm on: June 28, August 30, and December 13, 2024.
For more information about our grants program, contact: maitc@maine.gov
For questions regarding the application process, contact: kelsey.maitc@gmail.com
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Webinar Series
The New Hampshire Farm to School and the New Hampshire School & Youth Garden networks are hosting their 2024 Webinar Series for educators from across New England covering a variety of farm to school and school garden topics. Check out the recordings of past webinars and register for upcoming ones here.
Upcoming webinar opportunities include:
- Cross Curricular Education: Ag Ed + Family and Consumer Science - March 5, 3-4PM
- School Garden Seasonality - March 12, 3-4PM
- Square Foot Gardening with Kids - March 19, 3-4PM
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Food & Agriculture Center for Science Education
In 2022 the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture launched a first-of-a-kind online platform for K-12 and STEM educators to bring science to life through the lens of agriculture!
This past year they have developed a robust list of materials on the Food and Agriculture Center for Science Education website. For example: Monday, Tuesday, Happy Graze focuses on human impacts on earth systems. Throughout the task, students will evaluate the two different grazing techniques as possible strategies to manage natural resources.
Check out the materials here.
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Life Lab One-Bite Lessons
One-Bite Lessons are edible activities that don’t require a kitchen or excessive preparation. They are fun and creative ways to sample plants right from the garden.
Check them out here.
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Journey 2050 Demonstration Webinar
In this video, Program Director Tessa Matusak helps explain how to utilize Journey 2050 in secondary classrooms (6-12) to teach concepts in food production sustainability. Many teachers use this game-based tool and lesson package each year.
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Harvest of the Month - March is Maine Protein! | | |
Want to learn more about PIGS? Click here for some fun facts and resources from the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture.
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Teacher Resources Section | | |
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From Sap to Syrup. Grades K-2. Students will recognize how geography and climate allow for the growth of maple trees and the process of making syrup. They will identify the characteristics of maple trees that produce the best sap for making maple syrup and name the steps in the process of creating syrup from sap.
Pancakes. Grades K-2. Grades 3-5. Students will describe the physical properties of materials and observe physical and chemical changes as they learn about the ingredients in pancakes and how maple syrup is harvested from trees.
Tapping into Maple Tradition. Lessons for Grades K-12. Tapping into Maple Tradition digs deeper into maple sugar production to uncover a wide variety of core academic concepts. Botany, chemistry, history, economics, math, nutrition, language arts and engineering are all key components. "Tapping Into Maple Tradition" enhances these educational areas with hands-on, STEM focused activities reinforcing the learning process.
Growing Aspirations - Sweet! Grades 9-12. This lesson’s focus is on large concepts such as Habits of Minds, Food Systems of Maine, and Agribusiness. The unit may include lessons on other aspects of the standard such as positive self- concept, and the personal interests and skills lessons.
Looking for more? Explore the Agricultural Literacy Curriculum Matrix HERE
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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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