State Programs
State Summary 2010 — Texas
State Contact
Mr. Tad Duncan
Texas Farm Bureau
P.O. Box 2689
Waco, TX 76702-2689
P: 254.751.2608
F: 254.751.2671
E: tduncan@txfb.org
Website
Classroom Resources
Food and Fiber for the 21st Century---www.txfb.org
Food and Fiber for the 21st Century CD
AITC Book Marks
Texas Agriculture Book covers
AITC Mobile Learning Barn Trailer
Misconceptions About Agriculture (American Farm Bureau)
Be Ag Smart! The Cotton Connection
Texas Agriculture: Life and Livelihood (interactive career CD)
Major Program Accomplishments or Outputs
Texas Farm Bureau AITC held pre-service training for prospective teachers in the College of Education at Texas A&M University in 2010. Approximately one hundred twenty five future teachers participated in four training sessions at Texas A&M University. Each participant received a certificate for a free AITC resource guide, to be redeemed after they have graduated and have a full-time teaching position.
2010 marked the 16th year we held a Summer Agricultural Institute. Since its inception the Institute has trained over 250 teachers, from 110 counties across the state. We continue to hear from many of them as they report back with new ideas, projects and activities based on what they learned at the Institute. Participants received 3 hours of graduate credit and 45 clock hours of Professional Development Credit.
In 2010 there were 17 one-day workshops held around the state with a record 332 teachers attending. These workshops concentrate on training teachers to integrate agriculture across the curriculum, but with a particular focus on science.
A number of 1-3 hour mini-workshops were also held.
The nine AITC Mobile Learning Barn trailers are still popular with audiences. These MLB trailers are equipped with sides that open up to exhibit graphic displays showing the wide variety of crops and livestock grown in Texas. The Mobile Learning Barns are being exhibited at schools, shopping malls, county livestock shows and other venues where the county Farm Bureau wants to tell agriculture's story". During 2010 over 500,000 people viewed the Mobile Learning Barns, learning about the various commodities grown in Texas and how agriculture touches their lives daily.
Major Program Impacts or Outcomes
1. Over 450 elementary teachers participated in AITC teacher training workshops, including attendance at one of 17 full-day workshops, Summer Agricultural Institute, or in-service training.
2. Over 12500 students in grades 1-6 received agriculture instruction from teachers trained in AITC in 2010.
3. Over 120,000 students participated in AITC related activities such as county Farm Bureau sponsored Ag Days.
4. County Farm Bureaus spent over $17,000 for AITC resource material and to carry out county wide AITC programs in 2010.
5. Over 220 county Farm Bureau member volunteers assisted with AITC programs and activities in 2010.
6. Over 525,000 people viewed the nine Mobile Learning Barn trailers in 2010.
Biosketch
Tad Duncan graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in Agriculture Education and Composite Science. He has been with Texas Farm Bureau for 20 years and has been responsible for the AITC program during that time. Prior to working for Farm Bureau he taught High School science and worked in the oil and gas industry. He has a farm in Hill County where he raises beef cattle, meat goats and hay.