Ag Literacy Grant Program

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.

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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:

1. We do not fund student entry or program fees to specific sites;
2. Local dollar match is preferred if requesting field trip funding;
3. Sorry, but grant requests cannot be to purchase our Children’s Literature Book Bundle;
4. 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);
5. Leveraging/matching funds and/or community in-kind support is encouraged for all applications; and
6. 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.