2021 On the Farm STEM Teams Announced

The American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture announces educator teams to join immersive STEM training designed to further agriculture education in classrooms across the country.

At the On the Farm STEM event in Nashville, Tennessee, this August, educator teams made up of classroom teachers, administrators and specialists will engage with experts in both science education and the scientific community to design lessons and classroom materials that use agriculture to contextualize science.

“The On the Farm STEM experience is an incredibly important component of our program to connect students to agriculture through STEM education,” said Daniel Meloy, executive director of the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture. “We’re excited to have these educator teams participate in the training.”

The 2021 On the Farm STEM teams include a total of 33 participants, representing 14 educational institutions across six states.

• Georgia – Yolanda Payne, team lead
• Missouri - Tiska Rodgers, team lead
• New Jersey – Christine Gertain, team lead
• New York – Sarah McArdle, team lead
• Tennessee – Christine Puza, team lead
• Utah – Bekka Israelsen, team lead

The professional development opportunity, co-created by the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture and NextGenScience with funding from the Beef Checkoff Program, was designed to bring science to life for participants with the help of American beef cattle ranchers, researchers, geneticists, nutritionists and veterinarians.

Participants will begin their study with a three-part webinar series exploring the relevancy, authenticity and scientific concepts of agriculture to better understand how to weave this context into their curriculum, and then will come together in Nashville to tour farms and ranches and investigate the science that drives beef production.

These events build on the success of national On the Farm education events facilitated by the Foundation over the past five years. Visit www.onthefarmstem.com for additional information and resources.

The Beef Checkoff funded development of the On the Farm professional development and supporting resources. The Beef Checkoff was established as part of the 1985 farm bill. The Checkoff assesses $1 per head on the sale of live domestic and imported cattle, in addition to a comparable assessment on imported beef and beef products. In states with qualified beef councils, states may retain up to 50 cents of the dollar and forward the other 50 cents per head to the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board, which administers the national checkoff program, subject to USDA approval.