Thirteen area educators are among 142 across Iowa receiving grants in support of the integration of agriculture into classroom instruction or after school programs. With an academic focus, the Agriculture in the Classroom Teacher Supplement Grants are designed to help initiate new projects or expand on existing ones to promote agriculture literacy in students. The money awarded can be used to fund innovative lessons, activities, classroom resources, guest speakers, outreach programs, field trips and more. The grants are distributed by the Iowa Agriculture Literacy Foundation (IALF) and made possible through the support of the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation and the Iowa Egg Council. Recipients from the Kuemper Catholic School System include Elizabeth Hagen at Kuemper High School and Kathy Stipe at Kuemper Junior High. Amy Madsen at the Carroll Middle School and Peggy Hamilton at Fairview Elementary will receive grants. IKM-Manning Community School District has a total of five educators receiving awards and these include: Diane Casey, Judy Jacobsen, Jennifer Linde, Lorine Linde and Beverly Wolterman. There are two teachers from the Denison Community School District receiving funding, Melissa Kaub and Molly Reisz, both at the middle school. Laura Vaughn with the Coon Rapids-Bayard Community School District and Steven Hameister of Panorama Community Schools round out the list of local grant recipients. Supported projects must be completed before the end of the school year with final reports submitted by June 7, 2021.
