Ag in the Classroom is an agricultural education program that brings hands on, interactive lessons about agriculture to grade school students in Hamilton County. Lucille Schlabach is the Ag Literacy Coordinator. This program is a joint effort with Jefferson County, and our program reaches grade school students in both counties.
The goal of the Ag in the Classroom program is to teach children what agriculture is, where their food and fibers come from, and how agriculture is part of their everyday lives. We want our county youth and teachers to know that agriculture can be integrated with their school curriculums. If we can teach students and influence them at an early age, they will grow into adults who appreciate the importance of the agriculture industry in their community. We utilize fun and interactive lessons, as well as visits and materials from local farmers. Most lessons feature a "make-and-take" activity that students can bring home.
Our program is made possible by a grant from the Illinois Agricultural Association, Farm Bureau fundraisers, and from generous donations from our members and the community.
The goal of the Ag in the Classroom program is to teach children what agriculture is, where their food and fibers come from, and how agriculture is part of their everyday lives. We want our county youth and teachers to know that agriculture can be integrated with their school curriculums. If we can teach students and influence them at an early age, they will grow into adults who appreciate the importance of the agriculture industry in their community. We utilize fun and interactive lessons, as well as visits and materials from local farmers. Most lessons feature a "make-and-take" activity that students can bring home.
Our program is made possible by a grant from the Illinois Agricultural Association, Farm Bureau fundraisers, and from generous donations from our members and the community.
Students at Dahlgren Grade School buried a pair of cotton underwear in the schoolyard in fall of 2024. In spring 2025, they will dig them up to see how much they have decomposed and how healthy the soil is.
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Students at East Side read an Ag Mag during their monthly Ag in the Classroom lesson.
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Students simulate doing tasks with common farm injuries at the Ag in the Classroom station at the Hamilton County Safety Day.
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