2021 TeachKyAg Annual Report
Below you will find a snapshot of our impact and how we accomplished our goal of growing ag literacy across the Bluegrass! Through our programs and resources, we estimate more than 500,000 impressions were made this past year.
Program Highlights
Resources, Workshops & Curriculum Development
KyAEC spends most of its budget on curriculum development, education resources, and providing educator communications and training workshops. More than 3,000 teachers and educators received information from KyAEC or KyAEC’s partners on how to integrate agriculture-based lessons in their schools or ag literacy programs.
Connecting the Horse and Science Curriculum - When retired Kentucky teacher, Jennifer McNulty, decided to learn about horses, she knew they would be the perfect tool to teach students many science standards. KyAEC worked with Jennifer to develop a curriculum package that was then published and distributed through the Kentucky Farm Bureau Regional Teacher Workshops. About 300 teachers participated. An additional virtual workshop was presented to Kentucky 4-H Extension agents. This curriculum was edited, published, and distributed with support from the Kentucky Horse Council, Kentucky Department of Agriculture, Kentucky Equine Education Project, and the Kentucky Agricultural Development Fund.
Beef Literacy/New Ag Teacher Workshop – KyAEC, with support from the Kentucky Cattlemen’s Association, Kentucky Department of Agriculture and KADF, provided $10,000 in resources to 35 teachers and educators. Participants were provided a number of beef lessons and activities. The first-year agriculture teachers in the group were supplied additional resources to help outfit their classrooms.
Agriculture Literacy Network and Sponsor a Classroom - These programs allow community agriculture groups to make an impact in their counties by supplying resources and lessons to local schools for their classroom visits and programs. More than 500 educators and FFA chapters are regularly utilizing TeachKyAg resources thanks to our supporters.
Mobile STudent Programs
KyAEC supports the KDA Mobile Science Activity, the Feeding Kentucky STEM Adventure Program, and EngAGe Kentucky. Each of these programs had limited reach in 2021 due to school closings and virtual learning, but we found ways to continue connecting with teachers and students.
Mobile Science Activity Centers – The traveling science lab trailers operated by the Kentucky Department of Agriculture were able to reach 14,000 students. Miss Kentucky 2019-2020, Alex Francke, assisted with the KDA’s marketing efforts during her reign (which was extended another year). She made several videos featuring MSAC experiments to reach a larger audience. The 2021 Miss Kentucky, Haley Wheeler, now accompanies the MSAC unit through her Kentucky Proud spokesperson role.
Feeding Kentucky: A STEM Adventure – TeachKyAg resumed this program in the fall by visiting a few classrooms. Several regional educators were enlisted to help along with willing 4-H agents to reach schools across the commonwealth.
EngAGe Kentucky – TeachKyAg developed this program to assist the growing number of Kentucky classrooms choosing food production subjects for their argument writing units. It also provides students a deeper understanding of food production in their agriculture, science, environment, and FCS classrooms. TeachKyAg visited a few classrooms in 2021, as well as continued to publish informative articles for students via The Farmer’s Pride and the Ky Food and Farm Files website. The program is supported by the Kentucky Livestock Coalition, Kentucky Soybean Board, and the Kentucky Agricultural Development Fund.
Awards for the Kentucky Agriculture Poster and Essay Contest
TeachKyAg provides $100 for each winner of the contest administered by the Kentucky Department of Agriculture. The 2021 theme, “Kentucky Agriculture Never Stops,” was chosen by Commissioner Quarles to honor our farmers during the pandemic. The contest is open to any Kentucky youth in grades K-12. Entry information can be found at www.teachkyag.org.
2021 Winners
2020 Winners
Operations and Marketing
KyAEC is operated by Jennifer Elwell, of Farm Scholar LLC. She maintains an office in Shepherdsville and manages the programs and resources with her support staff.
In 2021, KyAEC boosted marketing efforts by attending several new events, including the Kentucky Association of School Administrators Leadership Summit. KyAEC was also a featured speaker at the National Ag in the Classroom Conference, where Jennifer presented on virtual field trips.
Curriculum development efforts were boosted with assistance from retired Kentucky teacher, Jennifer McNulty. She developed the Horse Science Curriculum and has offered her expertise on several other projects, including a new pig science curriculum that is in development.
This past fall KyAEC enlisted several regional educators to assist in providing school programs. Two of those individuals were provided additional duties with KyAEC as Education and Marketing Assistants:
Angie Padgett, Daviess County
Rebecca Kernodle, Boyle County
Warren Beeler continues to speak for Kentucky Agriculture through our Engage Kentucky program.
The success of KyAEC is also dependent upon our leadership and the many organizations, farmers, and agribusiness professionals who work in their communities to grow agricultural literacy.
Thank you to all our 2021 sponsors and partners!
Other contributors:
Kentucky Equine Education Project
Cecil Farms
Taylor County Conservation District
Shelby County Farm Bureau
Anderson County Conservation District
Edmonson County Conservation District