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February is National "I Love to Read" Month! Our Minnesota Agriculture in the Classroom (MAITC) team is celebrating by encouraging everyone to read and explore at least one agriculture-related book this month. Whether you dive into a fiction book (Example: Esperanza Rising) or learn something new from a non-fiction selection (Examples: Braiding Sweetgrass and Hungry Planet), we wish you happy reading!
 Our MAITC team hopes to inspire a love of reading and grow agricultural literacy during I Love to Read Month! We are hosting a Zoom Professional Development session for teachers on Tuesday, February 7, 2023, from 3:45-4:30 p.m. Some of our favorite agriculture-themed books and related lessons and activities will be demonstrated. Ten lucky attendees will receive a free book!
 MAITC is excited to host the third annual Farm and Food Book Week! Plan to join us on Zoom, February 21-24, 2023, for virtual agriculture-themed book readings by special guest readers. Visit our website for date and time options. Guest readers include:
- Melina Mangal, Minnesota Author
- Antonio Alba, Sharing Our Roots -- reading will be in Spanish
- Ben and Barret the Carrot, Open Hands Farm
- Patrice Bailey, Minnesota Department of Agriculture Assistant Commissioner
- Chuck Tryon, Bushel Boy
- Laura Purdie Salas, Minnesota Author
- Thom Peterson, Minnesota Department of Agriculture Commissioner
- Harrison Phillips, Minnesota Vikings
 Join our colleagues with the National Agriculture in the Classroom Organization for some cozy learning. Attend from the comfort of your home for engaging workshops and sessions to energize your ag literacy efforts within your classroom!
The MAITC Foundation is happy to announce the recipients of the 2023 Agricultural Literacy Grants to support educational efforts from kindergarten to high school across the state.
Congratulations to the following grant recipients:
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Grantee School and City
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Teacher
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Project Title
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All Saints Academy, St. Cloud
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Courtney Jones
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From the Ground Up
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Cleveland Public School, Cleveland
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Kim Germscheid
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Ag in S.T.E.A.M.
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Farmamerica, Waseca
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Jessica Rollins
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Ag Career Exploration
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Glacial Hills Elementary, Starbuck
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Jodee Lund
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Young Roots: Learning by Doing
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Greenvale Park Elementary, Northfield
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Kathy Flicek
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From Farm to Plate
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Highlands Elementary, Edina
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Cara Rieckenberg
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Chickens in the City
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J.A. Hughes Elementary, Red Lake Falls
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Jacob Rath
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Creation of Maple Syrup
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Laporte School, Laporte
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Jeannie Konecne
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Hatching Duck Eggs
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Lionsgate Academy, Minnetonka
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Andrea Dolan
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Lionsgate Academy Community Garden
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Minneota Public Schools, Minneota
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Karen Dalager
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From Egg to Chicken — A Farm Animal Life Cycle
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Minnewaska Elementary School, Glenwood
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Megan Greene
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Community Garden
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Owatonna Area Learning Center, Owatonna
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Kimberly Penning
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Grow Your Own
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River Wild Learning Center, Carver
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Jessica Krueger
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Tops & Bottoms
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St. Anthony Elementary, New Ulm
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Molly Helget
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See What’s Hatching
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St. Francis, Brainerd
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Carrie Allord
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Agriculture Classroom Immersion!
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St. James FFA Chapter, St. James
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Becky Cronk
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Ag Carnival
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Sebeka FFA Chapter,
Sebeka
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Mackenzie Kuschel
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Farm Fact Fridays
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This snowy start to 2023 has us looking forward to the National Agriculture in the Classroom National Conference in Orlando, Florida, June 26-29, 2023! This conference attracts K-12 teachers from across the country. These educators gain ideas and inspiration for integrating agriculture into their curriculum! Two scholarship opportunities are available to support K-12 educators in attending.
 CHS Foundation Scholarship
The CHS Foundation is offering scholarships to pre-kindergarten-12th grade teachers to attend the 2023 National Agriculture in the Classroom Conference. Fifty scholarships will be awarded to teachers to cover the conference registration cost. The application deadline is February 15, 2023.
 Native American Agriculture Fund Scholarship Program
The Native American Agriculture Fund (NAAF) is partnering with National Agriculture in the Classroom to offer scholarships to teachers of Native American ancestry or who teach Native American students to attend the 2023 National Agriculture in the Classroom Conference. Eligible applicants are teachers at a tribal government operated school, a Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) school or a BIE-supported school; a school on a reservation teaching Native American students, a non-reservation school that has a high percentage of Native American students, or teachers with a tribal affiliation. The NAAF Scholarship includes conference registration, flight costs and hotel expenses. The application deadline is February 15, 2023.
February Trivia Question: What former Minnesota Vikings player authored the book "Bee Love (Can be Hard)"?
Send your answer to sue.knott@state.mn.us. The first two people to respond with the correct answer will win a selection of children's books from MAITC.
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