Grace Foster loved raising sheep and cattle in her youth. Building on that passion, she pursued a career in agriculture education; Photo credit: Nathan Lambrecht

While high schools commonly employ full-time agriculture teachers, Illinois Ag in the Classroom (IAITC) provides agriculture lessons tailored to all grade levels, pre-K through 12.

Contact your county Farm Bureau office for access to the program’s free, classroom-ready materials, which align with state learning standards. Many counties employ agricultural literacy coordinators, who can deliver these resources and help teachers at any grade level use agriculture as an avenue to teach science, social studies, language arts, nutrition and more. While one might mistakenly associate the lessons with younger grades, there are agricultural literacy resources for teachers from elementary school all the way through high school.

See more: Illinois Farm Bureau Is Addressing the Ag Teacher Shortage

A popular resource, Illinois Ag Mags share relevant information about Illinois agriculture, offer ideas for classroom activities and showcase ag careers in a colorful four-page format. Find Illinois Ag Mags on apples, beef, corn, soil, pumpkins, pizza and more at agintheclassroom.org. IAITC is supported by the IAA Foundation as well as various commodity groups and private donations.

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