Minnesota Agriculture in the Classroom Resource Specialists are located throughout the state of Minnesota. Our Resource Specialists are great connectors and work collaboratively with groups that are driven by growing agricultural literacy. Recently, Sarah Kuschel, Northern Resource Specialist for Minnesota Agriculture in the Classroom, attended the LEAP Conference.
About the LEAP Conference
The LEAP Conference provided an opportunity for Minnesota Agriculture in the Classroom (MAITC) staff to work with the Minnesota Farm Bureau Promotion and Education committee. MAITC staff worked to train advocates, teachers and future teachers about Minnesota Agriculture in the Classroom resources.
MAITC Hosts Workshop
At the LEAP Conference, MAITC hosted a workshop focusing on potatoes. Workshop goals consist of helping educators understand that agriculture is everywhere and can be used as common ground to help students understand key principles of Minnesota state academic standards. Using agriculture as a context for learning helps students grasp complicated concepts while still increasing their agricultural literacy thereby having a better understanding of where their food, fiber and fuel come from.
Attendees used the MAITC resources to gather information and create commercials to sell us their potatoes. Workshop attendees received a resource box. A lesson was shared in the resource box to help them integrate and repeat this experience with students in their classrooms. Connections were also made with other partners including NRCS resources and R.D. Offutt Farms.
All Roads Lead to the Teacher Tours
A fun connection to this year’s LEAP workshop stems from the 2023 Summer Teacher Tour It’s a Mystery. This teacher tour featured a stop at William Macks’ potato farm where NRCS provided a rainfall demonstration and crop rotation information.
Round Table Conversations
Culminating the workshop, the round table conversations were priceless. These round table sessions gave attending educators the opportunity to hear what people are using Minnesota Agriculture in the Classroom resources for whether it was their first time or they have been using them for years. These conversations fostered ideas on how to enhance the experience for students or implement them into a classroom for the first time. The round table discussions are highly anticipated every year.
Resource Specialists are Here for Help You
Resource Specialists look forward to hosting workshops and professional development opportunities throughout the year for K-12 educators. Connect with the team to schedule yours today!