The American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture, a contractor to the Beef Checkoff, has announced an On The Farm STEM professional development event for educators in 2020. The event is designed for those who work in STEM and have a limited background in agriculture. Applications are now open on their website.
“Those who want an immersive boots-on-the-ground experience in real-world STEM connections with hands-on learning that will help them take their educational efforts to the next level should apply to participate in the On The Farm STEM professional development event,” said Daniel Meloy, executive director of the Foundation. “It’s ideal for formal STEM educators, teachers of earth, life, and environmental science, instructional coaches at school districts and teacher educators, as well as non-formal educators.”
The On The Farm STEM professional development experience is designed to bring science to life for participants with the help of beef farmers and ranchers, researchers, nutritionists, and veterinarians through first-rate tours and visits. This year’s event will also include training on methodology and teaching strategies of NGSS curriculum designed with the Storylines process. A middle school ecology and high school genetics curriculum will be used in the training, both which will have been scored by Achieve for an NGSS Badge.
Selected participants will receive free registration, reimbursement of up to $650 for approved travel expenses, hotel accommodations for four nights and meals, in addition to educational supplies and resources. Continuing education units will be made available to attendees who complete the program. The On The Farm experience is an intimate learning environment with 30-40 participants selected by application for each event.
2020 STEM Educator Event
Nashville, Tennessee
July 7 to 10, 2020
Applications Close: March 6, 2020
Applicants Notified: April 3, 2020
Visit the website to apply and for additional information to build awareness, understanding and a positive public perception of agriculture through education.
