excellencein teachingabout agriculture（excellencein teachingabout农业）.doc

Excellence in Teaching about Agriculture National Award Program Submission deadline: January 15, 2016 Sponsored by United States Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture— Agriculture in the Classroom The National Agriculture in the Classroom Organization Excellence in Teaching about Agriculture A National Award Program National Agriculture in the Classroom Organization (NAITCO) Our Mission: Increasing Agricultural Literacy through K-12 Education Our Vision: Agriculture is Valued by ALL What is the National Agriculture in the Classroom Organization’s Definition of Agricultural 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? Six teaching awards—three elementary and three secondary—will be given to educators currently engaged in classroom instruction at the pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade levels. “Elementary” is designated for teachers instructing grades pre-K–5; “secondary” is designated for teachers instructing grades 7–12. Teachers instructing grade 6 may apply for either elementary or secondary. These awards will recognize teachers for their integrated efforts to teach students about the importance of agriculture. Note: The Awards and Recognition Committee reserves the right to divide the awards between elementary and secondary teachers, based on a ratio of applications received. Award winners will be required to present their programs during the National Conference. The conference host, upon notification to the winners, will provide the format and other logistics. In addition, winners will be expected to help judge future applications. Based on the availability of funds, teachers selected will receive $500 each and have up to $1,500 of their related expenses paid to attend the National Agriculture in the Classroom Conference. Note: Funds may only