The government of Canada, and the Manitoba provincial government, are providing support to Agriculture in the Classroom — Manitoba (AITC-M), to adjust its educational and outreach resources.
The funding, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, will help with an increased demand for digital, online, and adapted in-person resources.
Federal Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau says the $146,6000 investment will allow AITC-M to continue through the changing times.
“Connecting Canadian youth with the farming and agri-food industry is more important than ever during these challenging times,” Bibeau explains. “This investment will allow Agriculture in the Classroom to help both Manitoba’s teachers and students adapt to new realities as they continue to learn about our innovative agricultural sector.”
The dollar amount is being provided through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership (CAP), which will help AITC-M adopt a new service delivery method. In 2019 alone, AITC-M reached nearly 38,000 students through events, programs, and professional development days.
Sue Clayton, executive director of AITC-M says that during this time of uncertainty, the program’s vision to educate students about how their food gets from the farm to their table has never wavered.
“It just needs to be done differently,” Clayton explains. “We believe all students in Manitoba should be agriculturally literate when they graduate. Thanks to the generous support from the Canadian Agricultural Partnership program, we move closer to this goal as more students will be able to expand and deepen their knowledge of Canadian agriculture.”