2022 Annual Report

Agriculture is back IN the classrooms! And we have also been able to bring students OUT of the classrooms to experience the sights, smells, and sounds of agriculture.

Sorting seeds, growing gardens, testing soil, fighting villains taking over our food system, solving real-world agriculture issues, exploring agriculture careers – this has been an incredibly fun year to be part of the agriculture literacy journey for over 70,000 students!

We make it fun to engage the students in learning, but the work we are doing and the impact we are creating is incredibly important. Students are retaining agricultural information and developing skillsets for the future. We are building the pathway to agriculture literacy and a province that trusts those working hard in the industry. We are inspiring students to choose careers in agriculture.

The students in classrooms today are our future consumers, innovators, leaders, and policymakers. They are the next generation of big-thinkers and decision-makers – and we need them to build a sustainable future for agriculture.

I sincerely thank our dedicated team of staff, board members, and volunteers for helping us to provide over 259,000 meaningful student experiences. And we have a lot more to do – with your support, our province and our country will lead the world in agricultural productivity, innovation, and sustainability!

Each student experience ingrains a piece of agriculture knowledge in students. These experiences are like building blocks, each one building on the previous to grow students' connection to and understanding of agriculture.

AITC experiences ignite a curiosity for food production and inspire students to see how they can play a role in this exciting industry. Last year we provided an impressive number of student experiences, but there is more to do. We need to continue providing meaningful agriculture experiences at all grade levels to ensure a strong future for our farmers, businesses, and food system!

An AITC experience encompasses a variety of agricultural learning opportunities such as a:

• Classroom Presentation
• Field trip to an ag event
• Classroom Resource
  • storybooks
  • hands-on activities
  • virtual and interactive learning
• Visit from an ag industry volunteer
• Farm tour
• Classroom Garden

Was AITC in your community last year? Take a look:

ABBEY, ABERDEEN, ALAMEDA, ALLAN, ANNAHEIM, ARBORFIELD, ARCHERWILL, ARCOLA, ASQUITH, ASSINIBOIA, AVONLEA

BALCARRES, BALGONIE, BATTLEFORD, BEECHY, BETHUNE, BIENFAIT, BIG RIVER, BIGGAR, BIRCH HILLS, BJORKDALE, BLAINE LAKE, BORDEN, BROADVIEW, BRUNO, BUFFALO NARROWS, BULYEA, BURSTALL

CABRI, CANDO, CANORA, CANWOOD, CARIEVALE, CARLYLE, CARNDUFF, CARROT RIVER, CASA RIO, CENTRAL BUTTE, CHOICELAND, CHRISTOPHER LAKE, CHURCHBRIDGE, CLAVET, COLONSAY, CONSUL, CORONACH, COWESSESS, CRAIK, CREIGHTON, CUDWORTH, CUMBERLAND  HOUSE, CUPAR, CUT KNIFE

DALMENY, DAVIDSON, DEBDEN, DELISLE, DINSMORE, DRAKE, DUCK LAKE, DUNDURN

EASTEND, EATONIA, EDAM, EDENWOLD, ELROSE, ENGLEFELD, ESTERHAZY, ESTEVAN, ESTON

FILLMORE, FLYING DUST, FOAM LAKE, FORT QU'APPELLE, FOX VALLEY, FRONTIER

GLADMAR, GOODSOIL, GRAVELBOURG, GRAYSON, GREEN LAKE, GRENFELL, GULL LAKE

HAFFORD, HAGUE, HANLEY, HARRIS, HAZLET, HEPBURN, HERBERT, HODGEVILLE, HOLDFAST, HUDSON BAY, HUMBOLDT

IMPERIAL, INDIAN HEAD, INVERMAY, ITUNA

KAMSACK, KELLIHER, KELVINGTON, KENASTON, KENNEDY, KERROBERT, KINDERSLEY, KINISTINO, KIPLING, KYLE

LA RONGE, LAFLECHE, LAIRD, LAKE LENORE, LAMPMAN, LANGENBURG, LANGHAM, LANIGAN, LASHBURN, LEADER, LEASK, LEOVILLE, LEROY, LESTOCK, LIPTON, LLOYDMINSTER, LOON LAKE, LOREBURN, LUCKY LAKE, LUMSDEN

MACKLIN, MACOUN, MAIDSTONE, MANKOTA, MAPLE CREEK, MARENGO, MARSHALL, MARTENSVILLE, MARYFIELD, MAYMONT, MCLEAN, MCTAGGART, MEADOW LAKE, MEATH PARK, MELFORT, MELVILLE, MIDDLE LAKE, MILESTONE, MISTAWASIS FIRST NATION, MONTMARTRE, MOOSE JAW, MOOSOMIN, MORTLACH, MUENSTER

NAICAM, NEILBURG, NEUDORF, NIPAWIN, NOKOMIS, NORQUAY, NORTH BATTLEFORD

OGEMA, OSLER, OUTLOOK, OXBOW

PANGMAN, PARADISE HILL, PENSE, PERDUE, PIAPOT FIRST NATION, PILOT BUTTE, PINEHOUSE LAKE, PLENTY, PONTEIX, PORCUPINE PLAIN, PREECEVILLE, PRINCE ALBERT, PUNNICHY

QU'APPELLE, QUILL LAKE

RADVILLE, RAPID VIEW, RAYMORE, REDVERS, REGINA, REGINA BEACH, ROCANVILLE, ROSE VALLEY, ROSETOWN, ROSTHERN

SAINT BRIEUX, SAINT ISIDORE-DE-BELLEVUE, SALTCOATS, SANDY BAY, SASKATOON, SEDLEY, SEMANS, SHAUNAVON, SHELLBROOK, SMILEY, SOUTHEND, SOUTHEY, SPIRITWOOD, SPRINGSIDE, ST LOUIS, ST WALBURG, STAR CITY, STEWART VALLEY, STOCKHOLM, STOUGHTON, STRASBOURG, STURGIS, SUCCESS, SWIFT CURRENT

THEODORE, TISDALE, TOMPKINS, TURTLEFORD

UNITY

VAL MARIE, VANGUARD, VANSCOY, VIBANK, VISCOUNT, VONDA

WADENA, WAKAW, WALDECK, WALDHEIM, WAPELLA, WARMAN, WATROUS, WATSON, WAWOTA, WEBB, WEYBURN, WHITE CITY, WHITE FOX, WHITEWOOD, WILCOX, WILKIE, WOLSELEY, WYMARK, WYNYARD

YELLOW GRASS, YORKTON

What is your favourite part about having a garden in your classroom?

Having a garden in the classroom is the opportunity to have hands-on learning for my students. Being a part of the garden, planting and taking care of it, and having a vested interest really makes learning happen. I can't imagine teaching without it. It's been it's been a really great experience.

To build on that, how do you feel like having the garden has changed or transformed your teaching?

I've been able to use the garden not just for science, but for other subjects as well, often cross-curricular units. We’ve used the garden for arts, for math, for measuring, we've done fairytale plays, and we've had the beanstalk in the background as part of our unit. We've used it for health for several lessons. 

What are some of the other benefits that you directly see for students, having their garden in the classroom?

I see that they're excited about learning. They're passionate about learning. They walk in the classroom every day to see what's happening. We could have the smallest sprouts or the tiniest little flower blooming and just the excitement on their faces, excited to see what's going to happen and what's going to grow.

What would you say if there was a teacher wanting to join the Little Green Thumbs program?

I would absolutely encourage them. The Little Green Thumbs program has been amazing. I can't imagine teaching without it. When I moved schools, I was afraid that I wouldn't have a garden. We have another set up and it's been amazing. This is my second garden this school year. I use it throughout the year and it's really an amazing experience. They won't regret it.

Is there anything that surprised you when that you started growing in the classroom? Any unexpected things that happened in class?

I guess what surprised me about the garden is that we get a lot of students who say ‘I don't like vegetables’, ‘I don't like it’ and ‘I won't eat it’. They refuse to. But then we’ve grown things like nasturtiums and children are eating flowers and when they see a purple peacock pole bean turn from purple to green and they taste it - with a little bit of oil and salt - they just say it's amazing.

They're so excited about it. During COVID, we weren't able to eat any of the food because of restrictions. So, we grew flowers in our garden with a pumpkin plant and dissected them. Just to see them grow and to actually see the parts of a flower was amazing. So that was a time that we actually had to be a little creative.

Why do you think hands-on, experiential learning is important?

I think hands on learning is so important because as students take such a vested interest in what they're learning about, they care about the garden. It becomes theirs. They take care of it. They come in every day. If we have little aphids, they're telling me right away. If it looks dry, they tell me right away.

I think we can easily learn out of a textbook or watching a video, but actually being able to get your hands dirty, get right in there, plant those seeds and watch them grow.

Why do you also think it's important for kids to understand how their food's grown and where their food comes from?

We've talked a lot in our classroom about who's had a garden, and very few of our students have even ever seen food growing. We have a very multicultural classroom family, and a lot of students don't know where our food comes from. So, having the opportunity to grow it in the classroom and be a part of that, they're so excited about it.

 What do you think has been the most valuable impact of the garden in the classroom?

I think that the most valuable impact that the garden has had in our classroom is how it shaped me as a teacher. I'm excited about it. I'm passionate about it. I can't wait to share it with my students. I always find new and creative ways to use it in different grades, different subject areas, and I never do the same thing twice.

We're always doing something different with the garden. It doesn't have to just be a Grade three science unit, which I kind of thought at the beginning. We use it for everything. We also share it with other classrooms and families get excited to see it as well.

Across Canada, Agriculture in the Classroom delivers powerful learning experiences that ignite students’ curiosity about food and agriculture.

Education is a provincial jurisdiction, and in Saskatchewan, AITC-SK is the “boots on the ground,” building relationships with partners and educators and delivering hands-on programming directly to students.

AITC-Canada (AITC-C) facilitates the success of provincial AITCs by providing systems, shared platforms, and national programming. AITC-SK proudly delivers Canadian Agriculture Literacy Month, a month-long celebration of ag literacy since 2011, the Great Canadian Farm Tour, a virtual farm tour series that visits 11 farms across the country that debuted last year, and thinkAG, an exploratory, career-focused initiative. thinkAG has ignited exciting resources such as an interest self-assessment app; Kareero, and a career exploration board game; Career Case. Teachers can also access the national educator resource library, curated for provincial curricula, for free initiatives to bring into the classroom.

AITC-Canada brings the importance of agriculture education to the national stage - ensuring that policymakers and agriculture leaders recognize that educating and inspiring youth to care about agriculture is crucial to cultivating a more sustainable future.

AITC celebrates over 2.3 million student experiences across Canada last year, because of the commitment and passion of the provincial members.

We all have a vested interest in the future of agriculture. The success and longevity of our businesses, farms, and organizations depend on the up-and-coming workforce. Students today will be the leaders and policymakers of tomorrow. The future YOU is in schools today, and we have an opportunity to inspire them through AITC-SK!

The AITC-SK team was committed to ensuring that agriculture education remained relevant during the pandemic. Their offerings expanded to include virtual, interactive, and accessible programs and resources. Last year Saskatchewan’s school systems shifted again, and teachers welcomed our staff into their classrooms and requested in-person events once again. Teachers and students were craving in-person connection, and as a result the demand for AITC-SK’s experiential learning skyrocketed. AITC-SK has returned to its roots of providing students with hands-on, meaningful, and experiential learning opportunities. Many students were experiencing their FIRST classroom presenter, field trip, or in-school event, and it was based around agriculture. The return of in-person offerings, AITC’s diverse resource library, and the addition of virtual and interactive initiatives have created an incredibly well-rounded group of offerings to satisfy any teacher’s needs. AITC-SK is the trusted source of agriculture education in Saskatchewan.

This coming year, the AITC-SK team strives to improve operational efficiencies and capitalize on the increased demand for in-person offerings. AITC-SK is strengthening the foundation of its organization with big goals of future expansion. There is more work to do in our province. With the momentum from last year, the AITC-SK team is ready to propel forward in providing more agricultural learning experiences for students throughout their K-12 schooling to inspire them to build a better future for our food system. Now is the time to get involved with AITC-SK! You can be part of their future growth individually and as part of an organization by amplifying opportunities for agriculture education.

I am proud that AITC-SK has adapted and thrived over the past years. I am grateful and eager to be part of this next chapter of expansion, growth, and truly making a difference in our province. Thank you to Sara and the team for your passion and dedication and to my fellow board members for your strategic contributions.