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National Agriculture in the Classroom

affiliates

Summary 2022 — Nebraska

State Contact

Ms. Courtney Shreve
Nebraska Farm Bureau Foundation
5225 South 16th Street
Lincoln, NE 68512
P: 402.421.4461
E: courtneys@nefb.org
Website

Innovative Programming

Teacher Toolkits

https://nefbfoundation.org/teacher-toolkits/
Use the AITC Teacher Toolkit to build your path with Nebraska Agriculture in the Classroom! Discover a grade-specific pathway full of resources, lesson plans, and in-person opportunities available to your classroom at no cost. You can find the right fit for your classroom!

Make & Take Activities

https://nefbfoundation.org/make-take-activities/
Eight guides for out-of-school opportunity ideas with crafts and activities to learn more about agriculture. These improved opportunities.

Walk to Unlock Nebraska

https://walk2unlock.ne.gov/
Walk to Unlock Nebraska is a robust physical activity program with a cross-curricular education component that provides set checkpoints across the state of Nebraska for youth to visit virtually while tracking live physical activity time conducted in one's school, after-school program, or home. One trail has been developed and piloted. Three additional trails will be completed by August 2024.

Taste and Teach Grants

Fifty, first-grade classrooms were awarded a $100 Taste and Teach Grant to purchase products from our Mapping Our Food resource to conduct a taste test lesson plan in their classroom. This helped to rejuvenate use of the Mapping Our Food lesson plan.

Limited-Edition Ag Week Shirt

Connected with teachers, volunteers, and partners to purchase a limited-edition shirt to wear during National Ag Week. Everyone was encouraged to share how they grow Nebraska and connect it to agriculture on social media in a photo.

Major Program Impacts or Outcomes

  • 100% of pre-service teachers state they can see themselves using AITC resources in their classroom.
  • 100% of Ag Pen Pal participants believe there is a need for the program in Nebraska schools.
  • 100% of Ag Pen Pal participants feel the program is an effective way to form a positive connection with the next generation of consumers.
  • 98% of teachers participating in a staff-led AITC Classroom Visit stated that the lesson increased their students' knowledge of agriculture.
  • 60% of teachers participating in a Virtual Field Trip think that students learning about agriculture is a great benefit.

Program Leader Biosketch

Courtney Shreve joined the Nebraska Farm Bureau Foundation in May 2014. She graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Agricultural Education-Leadership with minors in Agribusiness and Animal Science. Courtney directs the foundation's statewide agricultural literacy programming including the Nebraska Agriculture in the Classroom Program. She leads curriculum development, teacher engagement, Connecting Chapters, partnership development, and manages the AITC program team. Courtney serves as an expert source of information on agriculture, food and natural resources to students, consumers, educators, and curriculum specialists.

Courtney serves as the National Agriculture in the Classroom Nebraska State Contact and maintains a volunteer position as the Public Relations Committee Chair for National Agriculture in the Classroom. Courtney has been with the Nebraska Agriculture in the Classroom program since 2014 and served as the state contact since 2016.

Courtney grew up working in her parent's custom meat processing plant and grew a passion for connecting people to where their food comes from. She was active in FFA and 4-H and remains a volunteer today. Courtney resides in Table Rock, NE with her husband, Seth, and daughter, Elmie.