Agriculture in the Classroom Agriculture in the Classroom

Agriculture in the Classroom
 
Home Home Site Map Site Map Questions Question Text Version Text Version Spanish En Español
 
  Teacher Resources Student Center State Programs About Agriculture in the Classroom  
 
State Summary 2006
Printer Friendly
 
GO!
 
     
 
 

OHIO

State Contact:
Ms. Judy Roush
Ohio Farm Bureau Federation
P.O. Box 182383
Columbus, OH 43218-2383		 Phone: (614) 246-8243
Fax: (614) 246-8646
E-mail: jroush@ofbf.org
Website


Major projects accomplished this year

  • The Ohio AITC program (OH-AITC) trains volunteers to work with local school audiences mainly through the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation network. Seventy-eight counties have volunteers participating in AITC projects. OH-AITC continues to sponsor a project, "To Market, to Market", for 300-plus urban fourth graders to learn about economics and agriculture at an open-air merchants' market. Volunteers run activity stations and are tour guides for students and teachers. OH-AITC sponsors an Ohio science museum mobile project that visits schools called COSI Agriculture Adventures. This mobile educational unit provides schools with an all-day program that includes an assembly presentation and hands-on activities about agriculture. The program visited 126 schools and 12 special events and reached 63,460 students, teachers and others. OH-AITC Lessons in Economics educational kit has been revised and includes economic concepts addressed in the state's educational benchmarks. OH-AITC worked with two colleges to help coordinate summer classes for 44 teachers to learn about incorporating agriculture into their classrooms. OH-AITC also received a USDA/AITC Excellence Grant to partner with local Soil and Water Conservation Districts to help coordinate water quality training workshops and other special events for students and families. Fourteen counties are partnering with local Farm Bureaus to incorporate how agricultural conservation practices are a part of the solution to water pollution. The new Internet site, www.OurOhio.org, includes valuable educational information for teachers and parents including curriculum-related "Q & A" activities about articles highlighted on the website. The annual OH-AITC Literature Award for an author of a children's book with an agricultural theme continues to be popular. The winning book Pumpkins by Jacqueline Farmer was placed in libraries and schools around the state.

Major impacts the program had this year

  • 92 percent of the counties have active AITC committees through the Farm Bureau network.
  • 100 percent of participating teachers feel the To Market project will help prepare students for the statewide student assessment test questions that cover economics concepts.
  • COSI evaluations for the mobile school program indicate an 84% excellent rating and a 15% good rating for Agriculture Adventures.
  • 98% of the 44 teachers participating in the summer classes for graduate credit indicate resources and concepts will be included in their classroom teaching in the future.
  • The 2004 USDA/AITC Agriculture in the Classroom Excellence Grant to Ohio is providing mini grants to local Soil and Water Conservation Districts to offer watershed education to an estimated 3,000 teachers, students and family members.
  • OH-AITC continues to provide mini-grants to local Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCD) to offer watershed education workshops from funding provided by OFB Foundation. An estimated 3,000 teachers, students and family members are involved in programs in the classroom and at many outdoor locations including rivers and streams.
  • OH-AITC volunteers placed 1390 Pumpkins books in schools and public libraries.


  State Contacts
State Websites
State Summaries
 
      Back to Top