Major projects accomplished this year

• Texas Farm Bureau AITC held pre-service training for prospective teachers in the Colleges of Education at Texas A&M University and Angelo State University in 2005. One-hundred twenty-five future teachers participated in four training sessions at Texas A&M University while 35 future teachers were introduced to AITC at Angelo State 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. Contact has been made with other Colleges of Education in the state.
• 2005 marked the 11th year we held a Summer Agricultural Institute. Since its inception the Institute has trained over 230 teachers, from 95 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, as mandated by the State Board of Educator Certification.
• In 2005 there were 10 one-day workshops held around the state. 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.
• We completed the last of eight Agriculture in the Classroom Mobile Learning Barn trailers in 2005. These MLB trailers are equiped 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 2005, over 220,000 people viewed the Mobile Learning Barns, learning about the various commodities grown in Texas and how agriculture touches their lives daily.

Major impacts the program had this year

• Over 360 elementary teachers participated in AITC teacher training workshops, including attendance at one of 10 full-day workshops, Summer Agricultural Institute, or in-service training.
• Over 9500 students in grades 1-6 received agriculture instruction from teachers trained in AITC in 2005.
• Over 75,000 students participated in AITC related activities such as county Farm Bureau-sponsored Ag Days.
• County Farm Bureaus contributed nearly $15,000 for AITC resource material and to carry out county-wide AITC programs in 2005.
• Over 200 county Farm Bureau member volunteers assisted with AITC programs and activities in 2005.
• Completed the last of eight AITC Mobile Learning Barn trailers for use as educational tools around the state. Over 220,000 people viewed the Mobile Learning Barns.