Major projects accomplished this year

• New curriculum released in 2005 included "Literature Links to Agriculture" and a "Baker's Dozen of Agricultural Lesson Plans," both funded with an ACE grant and created by the MidAtlantic State AITC programs. "Green Thumb Gems for the Classroom Windowsill" was created to provide curriculum focusing on the landscape and turf sectors of Maryland's top ag sector. A "Career Discovery" unit was developed to highlight the many opportunities available within the agricultural industry. These resources have been added to the successful "Maryland Resource Kit" to provide quality educational materials aligned with Maryland State Standards.
• The Maryland Ag Showcase exhibited at two dozen fairs, festivals and events. ACE grant funding supported the Showcase's presence at four major urban events: Baltimore City's 4-H Expo, the Flower Mart, Baltimore Book Fair, and Fell's Point Festival. These events showcased agriculture to over 800,000 Marylanders, a new audience with little or no knowledge of agriculture. Hands-on activities were added to provide the audience with an agricultural message and encouraged further exploration of the Showcase.
• Teacher training, mobile classrooms, and direct classroom teaching continues to bring AITC programming to students in every Maryland County and Baltimore City. Grants for first-time users of the science labs offered new schools the opportunity to directly experience agriculture lessons. Training has been targeted further to metropolitan areas to reach an audience far removed from agriculture. Educator mini-grants and awards provided funding for the development of new agricultural lessons and projects.
• MAEF's programming is accelerating in both outreach and substance. Over 3,000 Maryland educators were trained reaching over 150,000 students with agricultural materials. The Foundation continues to provide vital services supporting the growth and progress of FFA and the Maryland Agriculture Teachers Association.

Major impacts the program had this year

• More than 800,000 Marylanders were exposed to agriculture at urban festivals using the Maryland Agriculture Showcase.
• Teachers of 150,000 students were directly reached with Maryland AITC programs and resources.
• Over 3,000 Maryland educators were trained and provided with Ag the Classroom resources.
• Most of the curriculum materials used in the Ag in the Classroom program have been aligned with learner outcomes mandated by the Maryland State Department of Education.
• The Summer AITC Teacher workshop received a ranking of 95% for its overall educational value by participants.