2020
Annual
Report

Growth, opportunity, innovation, expansion – these are the words that come to mind when I reflect on 2020 and the impact of COVID-19 on Agriculture in the Classroom SK.

In March of 2020, people across Canada were faced with a situation few could have imagined. Schools abruptly closed and learning moved to online and at home. In the daily changing environment, we focused on supporting teachers and parents in their new, unexpected reality. Our team shifted into high gear and adapted existing classroom resources to be suitable to use at home.

As it became clear that the pandemic would affect schools and education for many months to come, we knew that ag education would have to be delivered differently. It would be key to maintain our principles of providing value to teachers, offering experiential learning, and creating connections as we shifted to virtual learning. We grew in our skills and capacity to build and host virtual programs and develop digital resources, enhancing our ability to reach students in remote and rural areas of the province.

We developed a volunteer strategy and took a deep dive into program assessment so that when restrictions lift, we can hit the ground running. The virtual learning framework we have built this past year will complement the in-person programs, and we aim to grow both in the coming years.

As I reflect upon 2020, I could not be more proud of our amazing staff and board members who responded to the ever changing situation with positive attitudes, creative mindsets and the bravery to try new things. I am thankful to teachers who remained committed to bringing agriculture education to their students and leaped into the virtual learning world with us. And without our funding partners, who trusted us to navigate this situation and continued to support our work, we would not have made the advancements we are proud to share with you in this report.

Thank you to everyone for helping 2020 be the year of opportunity for agriculture education.

- Sara Shymko

Agriculture in the Classroom Canada (AITC-C), along with its ten provincial member organizations, provides educational experiences that foster a passion for lifelong learning through collaboration, creativity, critical thinking and communication by sharing Canada’s remarkable agriculture and food story. With our network of AITC members, partners and volunteers, we provide accurate, balanced and current, curriculum-linked resources at all grade levels, creating meaningful connections to agriculture and food for educators and students.

“We are proud of the relationship that AITC-SK has built with educators, students, agriculture sector professionals and the public in Saskatchewan. Our provincial AITC members are the trusted boots on the ground, being the delivery network between classrooms and agriculture education resources, programs and initiatives. Collaboration and coordination with the provinces gives us the credibility we need to succeed. Together we are stronger, with increased reach and impact!” - Johanne Ross Executive Director AITC-C.

This past year AITC-C initiated a Board Advisory Committee (BAC) made up of seven highly knowledgeable professionals with a wealth of experience from the sector. The BAC will support AITC-C in efforts to build its profile, enhance communications, and build fundraising strategies. The committee will review and support the development of strategic plans, while being a sounding board for new ideas and champion AITC-C within their own networks. Another highlight of the past year was the development of the Canadian Agriculture Education Impact Framework Report. Over 10 months, AITC met in-person and virtually to collect provincial feedback and input on impact measurement from AITC stakeholders across the country. AITC-C’s Impact Framework will set a strong foundation for AITC and help guide our organization to greatness!

We are so thankful to have such an insightful and dedicated AITC-C board of directors and Sara Shymko, AITC-SK’s Executive Director, as the voice for Saskatchewan.

- Johanne Ross

Tracking our reach and impact has always been important to AITC-SK. Previously we reported number of students reached. In a normal year, over 40,000 students participate directly in our outreach programs and an additional 30,000+ students use our tangible educational resources. We would spend significant time ensuring that we were not double counting students to the best of our ability.

The unique situation of 2020 meant that teacher and student involvement with AITC was almost entirely through digital resources and virtual programming. Unfortunately, our system of tracking digital downloads was not equipped to provide detailed information.

Student Experiences

This year we adopted the metric of STUDENT EXPERIENCES in place of students reached. Student experiences counts the total number of student experiences provided and does not differentiate experiences by individual students. This approach is consistent with AITC-Canada member organizations as collectively we seek to measure our impact nationally.

Little Green Thumbs stats are based on the 2019/2020 school year as the program spans the duration of the schoolyear, we historically report on the year completed in June of the year of the report.

Digital Downloads

If class size is unknown, our normal process is to use the average size of 25 students.

We used the class size of 15 students per download to account for home schools, on-line learning and smaller class sizes in Spring when school was closed. We assumed 75% of the individuals who downloaded a resource used it.

Agriculture education in Saskatchewan has not wavered. It is evident how truly talented and creative Sara and the team at AITC-SK are. With the suspension of programming, AITC-SK’s prime form of creating personal connection between students and agriculture, they found new and innovative ways to continue reaching students and supporting teachers. The AITC-SK team proved their wholesome dedication to AITC’s mission of connecting kids and agriculture.

Much of the work done by AITC-SK last year thrived because of important relationships AITC-SK has built in the agriculture industry. They called upon sponsors, partners, commodity groups, national and provincial AITC member organizations, primary producers and more from the industry to collaborate and ensure meaningful agricultural experiences continued. The knowledge and growth gained by the AITC-SK team’s vested time in exploring online learning opportunities paired with the support and trust of the agriculture industry has led to the development of exciting and innovative online programs and resources. It has enabled AITC-SK to become a leader in online agriculture education.

As we continue to explore the world of online education, we have not forgotten the connections and experiences cultivated from in-person programming. The AITC-SK team spent time digging deep into their programs this past year to assess, improve and optimize for success in future delivery. Their hard work this past year has built a strong foundation for success in delivering agriculture education regardless of where or how it takes place.

I am grateful for the continued support of sponsors, partners, and volunteers, and for trusting the AITC-SK team in their notable efforts to pivot and continue supporting agriculture education in the province. Thank you to the Board for your strategic direction and support in a year of incredible growth. And thank you to Sara and her team for their diligence in building a community that understands, appreciates, and respects agriculture. I look forward to your hard work coming to fruition in 2021!

-Arnold Ballicki