Canada invests to connect students with agriculture
Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister, Lawrence MacAulay, announced a one-year investment of up to $567,786 for Agriculture in the Classroom Canada (AITC-C) to develop and deliver educational resources about the agriculture and agri-food sector to primary and secondary students across the country, and to promote career opportunities in the sector.
This federal investment is funded through Growing Forward 2’s AgriCompetitiveness Program, under the Fostering Business Development stream, which supports activities that nurture entrepreneurial capacity in the agriculture sector through the development of young and established farmers, farm safety, skills, and leadership.
"Educating students about the importance of agriculture will contribute to a stronger, sustainable, Canadian agricultural industry. This initiative will provide students with information about the importance of agriculture in Canada and will help create opportunities to empower young future leaders in the sector", commented Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food.
"We are absolutely delighted with this new partnership with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada through Growing Forward 2, to champion agriculture education across the nation. AITC-C’s inquiry-based, curriculum -linked resources and initiatives, delivered through its provincial member organizations, will affect real advancement in the sharing of Canada’s agriculture and food story. This funding will assist AITC-C to capitalize on Canadians’ interest in how their food is produced, by providing accurate, balanced and current teaching tools on our agri-food system", Christa Wright, Chair of Agriculture in the Classroom Canada and Coordinator of AITC for Newfoundland and Labrador, added.