Minnesota Agriculture in the Classroom is a unique public/private
partnership between the Minnesota Department
of Agriculture and the non-profit Minnesota Agriculture in
the Classroom Foundation.
$ $ $ $ $ Integrating agriculture has no boundaries $ $ $ $ $
The MAITC Ag Literacy Grant Program offers cash awards
to help educators more effectively integrate
agriculture and the food system into their curriculum.
Agriculture has no subject area boundaries,
and entries are encouraged in social studies, science, language
arts and/or other subject areas.
MAITC Ag Literacy Grant
Program Focus for the 2008 - 09 school year
MAITC will accept grant applications only in the following
three categories: Innovation in Ag Literacy (up to
$400 per grant, with special emphasis on multi-grade or entire
school collaboration); Project Food,
Land and People Implementation (up to $250 per grant and you must
have attended a six hour FLP training); and Special
Project Mini-Grants (a maximum of $200 per grant, with emphasis
away from simply funding transportation for
field trips). We encourage you to think outside the box and
present new and unique grant requests this year!
Two Application Deadlines:
October 1, 2008 & February 1, 2009
Grants will be evaluated by a Grants Review Committee comprised
of three MAITC Board members. Please allow 2-3 weeks after
each application deadline for review and notification to
winners. Grants must be completed during the 2008-09 school
year, so plan your grant and implementation schedule accordingly.
A final project summary will be due upon completion of the
grant. MAITC reserves the right to deny applications based
on quality, clarity and scope, available dollars and intent.
Ag
Literacy Grant Program Judging Criteria
(Teachers - Please be sure and read these criteria before
you apply!!)
You must complete the application with
sufficient detail! Please state project objectives/goals clearly, and
indicate how the grant will help you achieve them. Also make
reference to the new Minnesota Academic Standards
as appropriate. Innovation and an interdisciplinary approach
are important judging criteria. You must present a
detailed budget. Field trip/assembly applications must be
linked to classroom learning objectives and outline specific
pre- and post activities.
When applying, please pay special attention to the following:
- We do not fund student entry or program fees to
specific sites;
- Local dollar match is preferred if requesting
field trip funding;
- Sorry, but grant requests cannot
be to purchase our Children’s Literature Book Bundle;
- Requests of funds for either equipment or resource
books/children’s literature purchase cannot exceed
one-third of your total budget request (requests for resource
books must list title, author, price and a brief description
if possible);
- Leveraging/matching funds and/or
community in-kind support is encouraged for all applications;
and
- Grants submitted by high school agricultural
educators must focus on agricultural literacy efforts beyond
their formal high school classroom.
Please consider contacting various local or county agricultural
organizations for funding and site
recommendations for field trips to farms. Many are willing
to support agricultural literacy projects. |