Summary 2019 — Illinois

State Contact

Mr Kevin Daugherty
Illinois Center for Agricultural Engagement
1701 Towanda Avenue
Bloomington, IL 61702
P: 309.557.3334
E: kdaugherty@ilfb.org
Website

Classroom Resources

Too numerous to mention. New projects included: Hosted 39 Summer Ag Institutes serving 582 teachers, 54 Pre Service Workshops. New Illinois History Ag Mag http://www.agintheclassroom.org/TeacherResources/AgMags/Illinois%20Bicentennial%20Ag%20Mag%202018_For%20WEB.pdf Revised Soybean Ag Mag http://www.agintheclassroom.org/TeacherResources/AgMags/Soybean%20Ag%20Mag%202019.pdf Revised Dairy Ag Mag http://www.agintheclassroom.org/TeacherResources/AgMags/2018%20Dairy%20Ag%20Mag%20Online%20Version_P.pdf Posters related to Corn, Soybean and Dairy continued relations with the Illinois Reading Council and Illinois Reads. Auntie Yang's Great Soybean Picnic named and Illinois Reads pick in 2019.

Major Program Impacts or Outcomes

87% of Summer Ag Institute Graduates incorporate Agriculture into lessons on a daily or weekly basis AFTER Attending an intensive training course on agriculture. 82% of Illinois teachers who have completed a Summer Agriculture Institute list environment as the top agriculture topic taught in classrooms. Followed by dair (79), water (70%) soils(68%),Natural Resources (67%), corn (66%), Soybeans (65%) and Pumpkins (63%), plants (63%), and Conservation (59%). 99% of IL Teachers Strongly Agree or Agree that Illinois Learning standards and or Common Core/Next Generation Science Standards can be met through incorporating Agriculture, and that Agriculture enhances the curriculum. 99% believe that agriculture can be taught in any subject area, and that agriculture fits the needs of elementary students. 88% of our teachers strongly DISAGREE with the statement there is no future in Agriculture, and 98% agree and strongly agree that agriculture has a skilled, highly trained work force. In pre-post questions after our intensive training courses, teachers have an attitudinal shift of 34% to the positive (56% pre, 90% post) in the statement that farmers and ranchers are computer literate and a 26% increase (73.% pre, 99% post) in the question about farmers providing safe foods. 97% of our teachers believe that students benefit greatly from learning more about agriculture. 97% of teachers surveyed plan on teaching various careers related to agriculture after learning more about those careers compared to 35% pre-survey. (62 point increase)

Biosketch

Kevin Daugherty is the Director of the Illinois Center for Agricultural Engagement. This position oversees the Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom program as well as Illinois Farm Families. Both programs are supported by a coalition that includes the Illinois Farm Bureau, Illinois Beef Association, Illinois Corn Growers Association, Illinois Pork Producers Association, Illinois Soybean Association, Midwest Dairy, as well as University of Illinois Extension, Illinois and Soil and Water Conservation Districts and the Illinois Agricultural Education program. Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom (IAITC) is a program that provides educational resources, training and support for classroom teachers throughout the state related to agriculture. Through this program IAITC strives to increase understanding of the food and fiber system for teachers and students across the state. The program also works to make agriculture advocates of students, teachers and parents. Kevin served as the 2003-2004 President of the National Agriculture in the Classroom Consortium of State Contacts, (Now National Agriculture in the Classroom Organization) Kevin and the Illinois AITC Program hosted the 2001 National AITC Conference in Chicago, and co-hosted the 2009 National AITC Conference in St. Louis. He served as the NAITC Committee Chair for National Conferences from 2014-2018 (Hershey, PA; Louisville, KY; Phoenix AZ; Kansas City, MO; Portland, ME). Kevin has been with Illinois Farm Bureau® since April of 2000. Prior to joining the Farm Bureau® staff he had experience in publishing, training and development and as an award winning junior high history teacher in central Illinois. A native of Oakland, Illinois Daugherty holds a BS in Secondary Education from the University of Illinois, and a MS in Adult Education from Eastern Illinois University. He and his wife, Katherine, have three children and live in LeRoy, Illinois, where he served as President of the LeRoy CUSD #2 Board of Education since 2008.