WEST VIRGINIA

State Contact: Ms. Helen Hardman WV Farm Bureau, Inc. One Red Rock Road Buckhannon, WV 26201

P: (304) 472-2080 ext. 311 F: (304) 472-6554 E: helenh@wvfarm.org Website

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Major Program Accomplishments
We held a two day Summer Agriculture Institute in 2007 with 74 teachers attending. We are planning our 2008 Institute to teach another 70+ teachers. We are providing AITC materials to Extension Agents who have a lot of contacts in counties throughout West Virginia in hopes of increasing exposure to Ag in the Classroom.

Four members of WVU Extension attended the 2007 National Conference to learn new ways to increase WVAITC activities. We are using electronic media in place of mailing materials to help minimize costs where possible. We are including state standards in the units being developed to assist teachers and make it easier for them to teach the WVAITC units.

The number of agents and Farm Bureau staff has doubled in the past two years. Other people are offering to help work with the program reaching more and more students and teachers every year.

Major Program Impacts
88% of the teachers participating in the WVSAI indicated that they were excited about using the materials provided to teach their students. 100% of the teachers said they would recommend the West Virginia Summer Ag Institute to others.

We trained 74 educators in 2007 increasing the number of educators trained in West Virginia.