Grainswest - Fall 2025

Fall 2025 grainswest.com 43 New leader oversees fresh direction for Ag in the Classroom CANADIAN CHILDREN FROM non-farming families are typically ex- posed to agriculture at school. A nation- al, charitable organization, Agriculture in the Classroom Canada (AITC-C) works with provincial AITC groups to provide schools with curriculum-linked, agriculture-themed activities. The organ- ization looks to strengthen its value to the industry with a leadership shakeup and refreshment of its programs. Formed in 2015, AITC-C initially pro- vided classroom resources, co-ordinated national learning initiatives and supported farming experiences for students. Today, it also educates youth about career opportu- nities in agriculture. Plans are also in the works to broaden its agricultural literacy activities through expanded collaboration with the agri-food value chain. “It’s a very exciting time to be able to shift the view and work with industry as a whole.” said Denise Schmidt, who became AITC-C executive director in March. Having grown up on a Saskatchewan grain farm and worked in various facets of agriculture including marketing, agronomy and business development, Schmidt offers the kind of leadership AITC-C needs to strengthen connections between education and industry. Additional leadership changes include a new board. Previously made up of regional AITC-C executive directors, as of September the organization’s board includes farmers and industry represent- atives from commodity groups, govern- ment, post-secondary institutions and trade associations. As AITC-C strengthens its leadership and strategic direction, its programs continue to deliver learning experiences for students across Canada. This includes popular indoor gardening initiatives such as Little Green Sprouts. In this pro- gram, K to 3 students grow microgreens, herbs and other fast-growing plants. In Little Green Thumbs, older elementary students grow full-sized vegetables and compost food waste while learning about sustainability and healthy food systems. Every March, AITC-C co-ordinates Canadian Agriculture Literacy Month. The program sees students conduct soil tests, read agriculture-themed books and engage with farmers and industry professionals in their communities. Each fall, AITC-C presents the Great Canadian Farm Tour for K to 6 classrooms. These bilingual, virtual field trips introduce students to farmers and food experts from across the country. Launched in 2019, AITC-C’s thinkAG initiative allows students to discover a wide range of careers available in agri- culture and agri-food that may align with their interests and skills. The program features a dynamic website and digital tools such as the Kareero Career Tool, Farm-focused learningupdate HEAD OF THE CLASS an interactive quiz that matches students’ abilities to potential career paths. To complement its online resources, think- AG also hosts in-person career expos that give students access to agriculture and agri-food professionals. Then there’s Mission Explorium, a na- tionwide online classroom adventure in which middle school students team up to tackle sustainability challenges through fun, curriculum-based challenges. Along with its program offerings, AITC-C is developing a national oper- ational management system to help its provincial partners manage volunteers and measure the impact of its program- ming. “It gives them a platform and a dashboard to help manage their resourc- es,” said Schmidt. “It also provides us with the metrics to understand what impact they are having, how many students they’re reaching and how many events we’re doing. That’s important for associations to be effective.” For more information about AITC-C, visit aitc-canada.ca. BY TRUDY KELLY FORSYTHE • PHOTO COURTESY OF AG IN THE CLASSROOM Elementary school students in Quebec proudly display seedlings they grew as part of the Little Green Sprouts Program, an AITC-C indoor gardening program.