breaking new ground annual progress report 2017-18 - AITC Canada

BREAKING NEW GROUND

ANNUAL PROGRESS REPORT 2017-18

AGRICULTURE IN THE CLASSROOM CANADA (AITC-C) is the leader for agriculture education in Canada. It is our mission to enhance students’ and educators’ knowledge and appreciation of Canadian agriculture, by empowering and building capacity in Agriculture in the Classroom organizations. Together, we are breaking new ground.

Strong Roots AITC-C Leadership

Many hands make for light work, and all across Canada we’re rolling up our sleeves. As part of a cross-country effort, our nine provincial member organizations work to empower students and educators with accurate, balanced, and current curriculum-linked resources, programs and initiatives. Chair: Colleen Smith Ontario, AgScape Vice Chair: Judy Grant Nova Scotia, Agriculture and Food Education, NS Dept. of Agriculture Treasurer: Sara Shymko Saskatchewan, AITC Saskatchewan Secretary: Laurie Loane Prince Edward Island, PEI Ag Sector Council Director: Maureen Foley Newfoundland, AITC Newfoundland & Labrador Director: Karen Carle Alberta, Alberta Agriculture and Forestry Director: Courtnay Kingsbury New Brunswick, AITC New Brunswick Director: Sue Clayton Manitoba, AITC Manitoba

The 2017 Agricult

ure in the Classro

om-Canada Boar

d of Directors

Director: Pat Tonn British Columbia, BC Agriculture in the Classroom Foundation

Together, we strive to: PROMOTE the value of agriculture, sustainable food

PARTNER with the education, agriculture, health, and

PROVIDE students and educators with quality

ENCOURAGE careers in the agriculture and food sector as a viable, desirable, and exciting career choice.

systems, and Canada’s agricultural resource base to students, educators, and society.

educational resources, programs, and other agricultural information that highlight agriculture as an important part of our economy and way of life.

ENABLE students to make informed decisions about

business communities to develop, implement, and evaluate quality initiatives.

BUILD relationships between between AITC

organizations and stakeholders across Canada.

food choices, food safety, local food supplies, and other agricultural products.

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Annual Progress Report 2017-18

Consider the number 5,233,912. That’s how many unique, independent, eating, thinking, behaving, learning and developing minds we have in our Canadian school system on any given day.

Breaking New Ground… this is a perfect descriptor of what we have been busy doing over the past year!

Well step aside, because Agriculture in the Classroom Canada has not only taken up this challenge, it is running successfully towards the goal line!

Digging into new initiatives, programs and teaching tools for Canadian educators and students. Cultivating dynamic partnerships with partners and stakeholders. Nourishing a firm foundation for the Agriculture in the Classroom Canada organization. As you will read in the following pages, our work over the past year has culminated to ground breaking progress! I am so proud to share AITC-C’s journey. The road is winding and diverse, just like the fabric of our country. A clear path towards our vision, to be the leader for agriculture education in Canada, is firmly in our sights!

Diversity and collaboration are hallmarks of AITC-C, mirroring the values and hopes of our nation’s next generation of consumers – our students. Nine provinces strong and with a mandate to include all provinces and territories, our group of educators and program experts deliver a plethora of agri-food focused facts, activities, programs and resources into Canadian classrooms every day. It’s a “behind the scenes” kind of mission, delivering concrete outcomes for students who will understand where their food comes from, how to choose local, and how to think critically about complex topics.

AITC-C’s energy is radiating! Through expansion of educational initiatives, hiring of additional staff, partnering on new curriculum-linked teaching resources, increasing our social media presence, and ultimately reaching more students and teachers every day, we are building more and more capacity to deliver agriculture education! AITC-C’s member organizations from coast to coast are the boots on the ground and the face of agriculture in Canadian classrooms. I extend sincere thanks to our provincial AITC members and all the countless volunteers who support us with their stories, expertise and passion.

With the world’s largest supply of land and fresh water, Canada has a huge responsibility when it comes to world food production. The next generation of consumers sitting in our nation’s classrooms today will be the food heroes of tomorrow. Our purpose is clear. Student learning can’t be left to chance. We thank our committed staff, volunteers, stakeholders, and supporters, your hard work and partnering is essential to our success.

We are committed to breaking more ground and building up, looking at new opportunities, reaching more students and teachers each year, while constantly encouraging new partnerships. Our supporters are integral to AITCC’s continued success. Thank you for your trust, your commitment, and your insight. We are so proud to work alongside you in AITC-C’s quest to engage students in Canada’s agriculture and food story. Together we will create, deliver, connect and inspire the informed consumers and empowered leaders of tomorrow!

Colleen Smith Chair, Agriculture in the Classroom Canada

Johanne Ross Executive Director, Agriculture in the Classroom Canada

What organization would be talented and bold enough to impact this energetic culture in a meaningful way? And who will deliver the facts about a topic as important as the food we eat, something that touches every person on our planet?

www.aitc-canada.ca

@AITCCanada

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Cultivating Success Say hello to the AITC Canada Team Executive Director JOHANNE ROSS

Operations Manager CHRISTA WRIGHT

Canadian Agriculture Literacy Month Coordinator RAYANNE FRIZZLE

Administrative Finance Manager ALLISON LECLERC

Educational Consultant NICOLE FREEDEN

Ag Careers Program Manager BECKY PARKER

Program Assistant MELISSA CLARK

We Value PASSION

We are passionate about agriculture awareness, education, and lifelong learning.

INTEGRITY

We are honest and trustworthy in all we do.

TRANSPARENCY

We actively engage in dialogue based on accurate, balanced, current and science-based information.

EMPOWERMENT

We are committed to inquiry-based learning that empowers students to think critically about agriculture and food.

COLLABORATION

We value opportunities to collaborate with members, partners, and stakeholders to advance agriculture education.

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Off the Beaten Path: Our Road to Success Before we tell you more about where we’re headed, let’s take a walk through where we’ve been... MAY 2015

NOVEMBER 2016

Agriculture in the Classroom Canada is formalized, with Johanne Ross at the helm and seven provincial members – AB, SK, MB, ON, PEI, NS, NL

British Columbia joins AITC-C table

APRIL 2017

New strategic plan developed (Plan 2020–A Clear Vision for Growth) that will take us through 2020

MAY 2017

JUNE 2017

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada through Growing Forward 2 Program announces significant funding for AITC-C’s cross country efforts

New AITC-C visual brand launched

JULY 2017

AITC-C granted Canadian charitable status

NOVEMBER 2017 New Brunswick joins the AITC-C table

JUNE 2018

AITC-C releases firstever annual progress report (you are here!)

#WeAreSocial

Our community is growing in classrooms from coast to coast. But we’re also stepping up our online game. AITC-C is now on Twitter and Facebook, engaging with students, educators, and partners with even more agriculture resources and information.

648 Page Likes in 2017 (we launched in May)

www.aitc-canada.ca

Social icon

Rounded square Only use blue and/or white. For more details check out our Brand Guidelines.

@AITCCanada

9,307 Profile Visits, 458 Mentions, 1,211 New Followers in 2017

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Our Food. Our Story. Since 2012, AITC-Canada has worked with its provincial partners to declare one week in March as Canadian Agriculture Literacy Week. But in 2017, we decided one week simply wasn’t enough.

32,048

Canadian Agriculture Literacy Month (CALM) brought agriculture to life in hundreds of Canadian classrooms. During the month of March 2017, students across the country participated in activities that helped them learn about, understand, and appreciate agriculture. A huge thank you to Farm Credit Canada, who made our leap to an entire month of agricultural learning possible.

STUDENTS

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PROVINCES “AITC-Canada is thrilled to expand this important event from a week to a month. This gives us to the opportunity to spend further time celebrating and sharing the Canadian agriculture story to more students, in more schools across Canada.”

“As the agriculture industry grows, so does the need for additional talented, energetic and well-educated young people.”

1,248

CLASSROOMS

MICHAEL HOFFORT FCC President and CEO

677

2012-2017

117,000 students VOLUNTEERS 2,200 schools 3,575 classrooms 2,300 agvocate volunteers from across Canada

JOHANNE ROSS AITC-C Executive Director

RIPE FOR THE PICKING: RESOURCE SPOTLIGHT ALL ABOUT FOOD

If you ate today, thank a farmer… and many other people: scientists, truck drivers, and food processors, to name a few. All About Food: Exploring Canada’s Food System captures many interesting, surprising, and useful facts about our complex food system. Each page in this comprehensive guide provides an in-depth lesson about the agri-food system. A companion website extends learning with links to videos, interactive games, and industry websites. The production of food involves much more than farming. Let us introduce you to your world through the food you eat. http://allaboutfood.aitc.ca

JOURNEY 2050

What does it take to feed the world? Journey 2050 guides students through a virtual simulation that explores food sustainability around the world. Using an inquirybased approach, the program encourages students to make decisions and adjust as they watch their impact on society, the environment, and the economy at a local and global scale through the lives of farming families in Kenya, India, and Canada. Our journey to feed the world has just begun! www.journey2050.com

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Who are the farmers growing our food and what are their stories? connectAG encourages Grade 7-9 students to explore Canadian Agriculture by putting them in the shoes of real farmers from 8 different provinces. Through the sharing of each farmer’s story, students develop a deeper understanding of where and how our food is grown, and the many opportunities, challenges and rewards Canadian producers experience everyday.

What are the hot topics in agriculture and food? snapAG is a series of 54 online information sheets that invite students and educators to explore accurate information about today’s agriculture and food industry. These quick and easy-to-read sheets are ranging in topics from organics to biotechnology to GMOs, animal welfare and more!

Online Resource Matrix

This exciting new online tool will be a “one stop shop” for teachers across Canada who are looking for agriculture education resources. Teachers will be able to filter by grade, topic, and curriculum area to find the agriculture and food resources available to them to engage their students.

No matter your interest, picture yourself in a career in agri-food! This is the main message behind our new career initiative called thinkAG. This dynamic and interactive collection of teaching resources and outreach tools encourages exploration and curiosity into the myriad of career opportunities available in the agriculture and food sector. Students from all backgrounds are inspired to envision themselves as a participant in Canada’s agriculture and food story. Through videos, infographics, hands-on activities and experiences, students are empowered to get curious about the limitless opportunities available!

The #MyFoodChoice resource is an inquiry-based resource answering the overall question of “How can I make informed food choices?”. This resource has videos, interactive student sheets, approved resources and more! It is aimed at grade 9-12 students in subjects such as science, food studies, English, agriculture, social studies, humanities to name a few.

www.aitc-canada.ca

Our brand-new website will be launched in June 2018 and will feature a wealth of resources to be dug into for partners, volunteers, educators, and students. We can’t wait to have this new and exciting, interactive online showcase of all things AITC!

Seeds of Development

You’ve seen how far we’ve come. Now imagine where we’re going. AITC-C has several exciting new resources, programs, and initiatives currently in development. Here’s a sneak peek at a few.

www.aitc-canada.ca

@AITCCanada

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Special Events CANADA’S AGRICULTURE DAY February 16, 2017

Canada’s agri-food story is an exciting one to tell and Canada’s Agriculture Day does just that! Hosted by Agriculture More than Ever, this day is a cross country celebration for organizations, businesses, farmers and the general public to share their passion for agriculture and the food we eat. AITC provincial organizations hosted local celebrations from coast to coast, and a national event held in Ottawa was attended by our Executive Director, Johanne Ross. Ross, along with many federal ministers and dignitaries, was invited to speak and share in the celebrations. The celebration extended online as well, with well over 35 million Twitter impressions.

PUBLIC TRUST SUMMIT

September 2017

As Canada’s agriculture and food story grows and changes, public trust is more important than ever. AITC-C believes that agriculture and food education and connecting with young Canadians is one of the integral keys to building this trust. Our strategic partner, The Canadian Centre for Food Integrity hosted a Public Trust Summit in September. Food system leaders from across the country gathered to explore ways in which all stakeholders can work together to improve transparency in the ways we produce food. AITC-C was proud to co-host, along with Farm and Food Care and Ag More Than Ever, a special breakfast during this event. Attendees had the opportunity to share and give input into the work being done by the amplifier organizations across Canada. We are all working together to “Connect with Canadians”!

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GROW CANADA CONFERENCE November 2017

The Grow Canada conference is one of Canada’s premier agricultural events. It provides a platform to connect with industry leaders from across the country, explores cutting edge insight, and builds a stronger and more vibrant Canadian agricultural sector that ultimately contributes to a better world. AITC-C hosted a reception where we showcased our programs and shared what’s on the horizon for agriculture education. AITC-C is grateful to CropLife Canada and Bayer for their generous support in bringing AITC delegates to this incredible event.

PARTNER MEETING & PLANNING SESSIONS July 2017

AITC-C’s strength lies with our dedicated provincial members who deliver our programs to thousands of students every year. As the national voice for agriculture education, we are committed to listening to our provincial partners to ensure we can continue growing forward together. An annual sharing session,

www.aitc-canada.ca

held in Calgary in 2017, provided the important opportunity to listen, share and learn from AITC’s across Canada. In June of 2018, AITC-C and its partners and stakeholders will once again gather in Winnipeg Manitoba.

@AITCCanada

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Together, We Grow AITC-C exists to help students across the country understand and appreciate how diverse the agriculture and food sector truly is – and our work would not be possible without the generosity and dedication of our many partners, donors, and farming friends. Our partners play a vital role in expanding agriculture education opportunities. Their donations, ideas, volunteer power, and in-kind support are helping grow curiosity and understanding in students from coast to coast! Thank you for keeping agriculture education alive in Canadian classrooms!

THANKS TO OUR FOUNDATIONAL PARTNERS

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Our Members Ontario

New Brunswick

Manitoba

Nova Scotia Saskatchewan

Alberta

Prince Edward Island

British Columbia

Newfoundland & Labrador

AGRICULTURE IN THE CLASSROOM CANADA

For more educational resources, visit www.aitc-canada.ca, email us at [email protected], or call toll free 1-833-248-2226 (1-833-AITCCAN) @AITCCanada