Counties Receive Ag Literacy Grants

The IAA Foundation is proud to announce $647,000 in Ag Literacy Coalition Grants to support the local efforts of Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom (IAITC). This funding, in the form of a matching grant, provides an average of $8,000 to each of the 80 Ag Literacy Coalitions serving 89 Illinois counties in total. Based on successful fundraising and proper gift stewardship, the IAA Foundation will fully fund the 2022-2023 IAITC program of work including teacher grants, reimbursements to counties for Summer Ag Academies, and ensuring all print resources remain available to Illinois teachers at no cost.

During a typical school year, more than 650,000 students and close to 40,000 teachers engage in ag literacy lessons through IAITC. And while the last two years have been anything but typical in Illinois schools, this past school year saw student reach increase by 25% and teacher reach increase by 55%, reflecting a positive trend as re-adjustments continue.