A few notes before you start your application:

What is Agriculture Literacy?  An agriculturally literate person understands and can communicate the source and value of agriculture as it affects quality of life.

 

What is the Excellence in Teaching about Agriculture Award? The Iowa Agriculture Literacy Foundation will present one award given to an Iowa Educator currently engaged in classroom instruction at the pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade levels. The teacher selected will receive up to $1,500 for their related expenses (conference registration, hotel, meals, transportation) paid to attend the 2026 National Agriculture in the Classroom Conference held in Providence, Rhode Island.

 

Who is Eligible? Certified non-vocational teachers currently engaged in integrating agricultural concepts into classroom settings at the pre-K to 12th grade levels in Iowa are eligible.

 

What are the Criteria for Selection? Teachers must integrate/utilize agricultural information within their classroom curriculum in an effort to assist students in learning the importance of agriculture. Instruction may include, but is not limited to:

• understanding the importance and value of agriculture in students’ daily lives;
• understanding the relationships among agriculture, food and fiber production, animals, health, energy systems, technology, economics, and the environment;
• identifying and understanding the connections between academic content areas and agricultural careers including, but not limited to, STEM careers;
• understanding the overall connectedness between STEM and agriculture.

Evaluation Criteria: The degree to which an educator exemplifies:

• Leading instruction on accurate agriculture knowledge, attitudes, and skills.
• Demonstrates teaching excellence in gaining student understanding of selected agricultural literacy theme(s).
• Grants, community extensions, professional development relating to increasing agriculture literacy in the classroom will be considered. 
• Innovative, integrated, and interdisciplinary programs are encouraged.

Note: The Iowa winner will represent our state at the National Agriculture in the Classroom Excellence in Teaching about Agriculture Award program. If selected for the national honor, the national award package will take place of the Iowa prize.

 

Deadline: Applications must be submitted on or before December 1, 2025 by 5 p.m.

Questions? Contact Tara Tornabane at 515-331-4183 or by email at ttornabane@iowaagliteracy.org. 

 

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