MADISON – Four Wisconsin teachers have been named the Wisconsin Agriculture in the Classroom Educator Ambassador Team. This new program utilizes top-agricultural literacy educators to provide training and advise on the resources, trainings and experiences offered by the Wisconsin Agriculture in the Classroom program.
Inaugural team members include:
- Emily Kamps, Fennimore Elementary School
- Joshua Gonzalez, River Trail School for Agricultural Sciences – Milwaukee
- Mary Cooper, St. Mary’s Catholic School – Richland Center
- Travis Sprague, Sun Prairie West High School and Prairie View Middle School
Team members were invited to apply based on their experience with the AITC program.
“Teachers seek their peers for classroom curriculum, resources and innovative standards-based ideas that support student success in the classroom,” said Wisconsin Agriculture in the Classroom Coordinator Beth Schaefer. “We are delighted to work with these exceptional educators who have found great success for their students and their teaching by utilizing agriculture as a context across subjects to help grow educator’s awareness of the AITC program.”
The Educator Ambassador Team began their training at the 2024 National Agriculture in the Classroom Conference held in Salt Lake City, Utah, June 23-26, 2024, where they enhanced their understanding of the resources and opportunities offered by the National Agriculture in the Classroom program. In early August, the team completed training with experts from Wisconsin AITC, Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction and the National Center for Agricultural Literacy at Utah State University.
During the 2024-2025 school year, the Educator Ambassador Team will present workshops, share lesson ideas and experiences and meet quarterly to review and guide AITC programming.
The Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation’s Agriculture in the Classroom program is designed to help K-12 students understand the importance of agriculture. The program is coordinated by the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Foundation in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, with funding from the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Foundation, other agricultural groups and a grant from the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. Learn more at wisagclassroom.org
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