At the end of September, Loess Hills Agriculture in the Classroom announced the successful completion of their first year of programming. The regional effort through the Iowa Agriculture Literacy Foundation includes Carroll, Crawford, Harrison, Shelby and West Pottawattamie Counties. “I have heard great things about Loess Hills everywhere,” says Lila Bruck, a Crawford County resident. “The kids are really excited about this type of programming and other people are noticing the impact that Loess Hills Agriculture in the Classroom is making.” There have been 20 schools in 15 different school districts who have benefited from 286 programs reaching 6,182 students. The impact, however, is not limited to the classroom. Presentations have been made at Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) festivals, at area libraries, county fairs and ag safety days. The initiative is also vested in helping teachers learn how they can use agriculture in their everyday lesson plans. The advisory council has announced plans to expand and grow the reach during the 2019/20 school year. They have set goals of connecting with 20 new teachers and conducting programs in at least three additional school districts. For more information, visit www.IowaAgLiteracy.org.
