Addressing the complex challenges of the 21st century begins with engaging young learners. To sustain a fruitful food and agricultural system, school curricula must teach core concepts through an agriculture lens.
The National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s educational initiatives seek to enhance agricultural literacy in K-12 schools, emphasizing the interlocking role of farming, food and fiber production with environmental quality.
Projects funded by NIFA education programs foster student success through curriculum development, student education, teacher training and community outreach.
Developing agricultural curricula for K-12 classrooms
Through the Agriculture in the Classroom program, NIFA partners with the National Agriculture in the Classroom Organization (NAITCO) and its state collaborators to serve nearly 5 million students and 60,000 teachers annually through workshops, conferences, field trips, farm tours and other educational activities. The program supports Ag in the Classroom programs in each state by maintaining a network that seeks to improve agricultural literacy among preK-12 teachers and students.
The resources supported by NAITCO include agricultural-infused content to teach science, social studies, language arts and nutrition concepts. An invaluable tool to help teachers become more confident teaching agricultural subjects, NAITCO’s resources align with most states’ academic standards and pre- and in-service programs. NAITCO maintains the Agricultural Literacy Curriculum Matrix, a free database of lesson plans and resources for K-12 educators that incorporate agriculture concepts.
Strengthening knowledge and skills among K-12 students
Awarded in 2023 by the Secondary Education, Two-Year Postsecondary Education, and Agriculture in the K-12 Classroom Challenge Grants Program (SPECA), Kentucky State University is enhancing students’ application of agriculture, science, technology, engineering and mathematics (ag-STEM) content and skills in real-world contexts, helping them develop an interest in agriculture careers.
During the project's first year, students participated in a hands-on learning experience that mirrored the real work of agriculture scientists. Students learned about managing an aquaponic ecosystem in the classroom, developing their scientific and mathematical practices and reasoning skills. At a STEM Day event at KSU’s Aquaculture Research Center, students examined bacterial growth and fish feed rates that impacted plant growth and water quality. Data from a pre- and post-survey revealed that students became more interested in learning ag-STEM skills and working with scientists in the future. Fifty percent of students reported an interest in pursuing a STEM degree.
The SPECA program seeks to promote and strengthen secondary education and two-year postsecondary education to help train students to become qualified contributors to the food and agriculture workforce. The program also promotes linkages between K-12, community college and higher education programs to advance excellence in education.
Preparing K-12 educators to train future agriculture professionals
Awarded in 2023 by the Professional Development for Agricultural Literacy priority area (PDAL) within the AFRI Education and Workforce Development Program, the University of Puerto Rico is developing improved curricula and training for teachers on food and agricultural sciences. The project developed a certificate program to train K-8 educators on the development and integration of a school garden in their courses, where they can apply real-world uses of math, science and agriculture concepts. Thirty-three educators from 25 schools enrolled in the first cohort of the program. Following their certification, the teachers will receive mentorship to develop school gardens and incorporate the garden in their lesson plans.
The PDAL program offers institutional grants for training K-12 and two-year postsecondary educators. By increasing their knowledge of food and agricultural sciences and career opportunities, teachers can develop improved curricula to train future food and agriculture professionals and scientists.
Supporting communities through youth engagement and outreach
To address food insecurity and poor nutrition among children in rural communities, the Tasting with Keiki 4-H program at the University of Hawaii provides youth with nutrition education through classroom lessons and family outreach. Awarded by NIFA’s Rural Health and Safety Program (RHSE) in 2024, this school-based project introduces elementary-aged children to new foods by providing cooking demonstrations, telling stories and sharing take-home recipes that incorporate local crops. In partnership with The Food Basic (Hawai'i Island's Food Bank), the project aims to reach 1,000 families on Kauai’i and Hawai’i Island through outreach about healthy food access.
The RHSE program promotes rural health and safety through national program leadership, strategic partnerships and funding for integrated research, education and Extension. These efforts help promote and enhance health and well-being in rural communities and strengthen economic vitality to break the rural poverty cycle.