AFBF Partners with AG in the Classroom

American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture, National Agriculture in the Classroom Organization Strengthen Collaboration

WASHINGTON, D.C., August 9, 2017 – Leaders of the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture and the National Agriculture in the Classroom Organization announce a newly established partnership to strengthen collaboration between the two groups.

The Foundation and NAITCO signed a memorandum of understanding outlining how the two organizations will work together to create a more agriculturally literate society.

“Farm Bureau has worked closely with National Agriculture in the Classroom for years to help students, teachers and parents learn about where food comes from and who grows it,” said Foundation Chairman Zippy Duvall, who also serves as president of the American Farm Bureau Federation. “We look forward to building on our success through this official partnership.”

The Foundation and NAITCO will work together to encourage young Americans to pursue higher education and career opportunities in the food and agricultural sciences, in addition to providing resources to assist K-12 educators interested in integrating information about food and agriculture across curricula. The two organizations will also partner on communications and promotions as part of the agreement, in addition to collaborating on workshops and educational events.

“The memorandum of understanding recently signed by National Agriculture in the Classroom and the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture solidifies an already strong partnership between two organizations dedicated to agricultural literacy outreach in K-12 classrooms across the country,” said Willie Grenier, president of the National Agriculture in the Classroom Organization and executive director of Maine Agriculture in the Classroom. “We’re proud to have such a strong advocate of educating K-12 teachers and students about the importance of agriculture by our side, and look forward to a robust collaboration between our two organizations for many years to come.”

About the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture

The mission of the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture is to build awareness, understanding and a positive public perception of agriculture through education. The Foundation believes everyone should have an understanding of where their food comes from and who grows it. To reach that goal, the Foundation offers a variety of standards-based programs and activities. Learn more at agfoundation.org.

About the National Agriculture in the Classroom Organization

The mission of the National Agriculture in the Classroom Organization (NAITCO) is to “increase agricultural literacy through K-12 education” and it defines an agriculturally literate person as “one who understands and can communicate the source and value of agriculture as it affects our quality of life.” NAITCO and its member AITC programs in most of the 50 states seek to improve student achievement by applying authentic, agricultural-based content as the context to teach core curriculum concepts in science, social studies, language arts and nutrition. By encouraging teachers to embed agriculture into their classroom, NAITCO strives to cultivate an understanding and appreciation of the food and fiber system that these teachers and students rely on every day. NAITCO positions itself in the agricultural education community as the lead organization to serve the full spectrum of K-12 formal education needs. Learn more about NAITCO and its programs at www.agclassroom.org.