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In 2021, $60K is earmarked for grants in 5 categories! This support of Maine agriculture education in grades Pre-Kindergarten through 12 is a direct result of the Maine Agricultural Specialty License Plate.
Deadline is August 23rd!
Apply today!
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CHS Grants Available Now! |
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The CHS Foundation provides $500 grants each year to pre-kindergarten-12th grade teachers who have classroom projects that use agricultural concepts to teach reading, writing, math, science, social studies and more. Eligible projects include classroom and schoolyard gardens, embryology projects, aquaculture projects and agricultural literacy reading programs to name a few. Teachers with projects that can be conducted virtually are welcome to apply as well.
The CHS Classroom Grant application is now available and the deadline for applications is September 15th. Teachers have until June 1 the following year to complete the project and submit a final report. Only state-certified classroom teachers employed by a school district or private school teachers are eligible to apply. Learn more and apply here.
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Maine School Garden DAYS - Next Session August 7th! |
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Join Maine School Garden Network for our third session of Maine School Garden Days - yes, plural! Our next session will focus on connections between the school garden, taste tests, and Maine's Harvest of the Month program. We'll also receive a tour of the amazing RSU 22 school gardens from garden coordinator Brittany Layman. We look forward to seeing you on August 7!
If you missed a past session, you can watch the video recordings HERE.
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Journey 2050 Program & Webinar |
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Looking for something to help teach sustainability, plant and soil health, water, economy, land use, culture, careers, and new technology for grades 7-12? Look no further than the Journey 2050 Program!
Journey 2050 is a free, online program on world food sustainability that includes a virtual simulation game. Designed for grades 7-12, the game provides students with an opportunity to consider the question:
“How will we sustainably feed nearly 10 billion people by the year 2050?”
Interested in learning more? Join us for a free webinar Aug. 11 at 12:00pm-1:00pm to learn how to play the game and use the lessons. Registration is required to receive the Zoom link to participate in the webinar. Sign up for the webinar HERE.
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As a result of a MAITC grant, in partnership with Maine Association Family and Consumer Sciences, University of Maine Cooperative Extension 4-H developed lessons for middle and high school students about agricultural and food system careers. “Growing Vocational Aspirations with Growing Maine” uses video, exploration, and writing for student engagement in classroom and informal settings.
The Growing Aspirations Unit contains five lessons:
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Harvest of the Month - August is Maine Cucumbers! |
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The Maine Harvest of the Month (HOM) is a campaign that helps to promote the use of seasonally available, local products in schools, institutions, and communities. The program, which highlights a different Maine product each month, aims to provide students with local and healthy produce, while supporting Maine’s farmers and producers.
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Check out the great HOM materials:
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Teacher Resources Section |
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Little Red Hen. Grades K-2. In this lesson students will use the story The Little Red Hen to learn about wheat production and bread making. Students will thresh their own wheat and grind it into flour to make bread.
Truth or Hogwash? Grades 3-5. Students will work in teams to play a game in which they answer true/false questions about swine and then research and develop questions of their own.
Water Ops for Growing. Grades 6-8. Through project-based learning, students design and create a smart watering system for a small herb garden.
Pig Power: Creating Biogas and Renewable Energy. Grades 9-12. After exploring the science of energy and energy conversion, students will evaluate some environmental impacts of hog farming and explore technologies that minimize negative human impact by creating biogas energy from animal waste.
Looking for more? Explore the Agricultural Literacy Curriculum Matrix HERE
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Don't forget that all SIX of our
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Eat Happy Project Video Series. The "Eat Happy Project" is a British YouTube channel aimed to help children to understand more about food; where it comes from and how to cook it. Online Field Trips have taken schoolchildren from their classrooms to citrus groves in Valencia, Paddy fields in Thailand and banana plantations in Costa Rica, allowing them to interact with food growers and suppliers from all over the world.
Bread in a Bag. This activity details the instructions for making bread in a Ziploc bag. An excellent way to demonstrate bread-making and the properties of yeast within a classroom setting.
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Calling School Gardens! School Garden Grown Project |
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CALLING ALL SCHOOL GARDENS!
School Garden Grown Project
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Maine fairs are ramping up for in-person events this summer! School gardens can exhibit their produce, create excitement for students, and build awareness, with cash prizes to benefit the garden program! MSGN is in partnership with Maine Agriculture in the Classroom to provide information on this amazing project with your LOCAL fair!
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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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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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