Agriculture in the Classroom New Brunswick needs funding
/by Lisa Ashworth
Due to insufficient resources for the popular Agriculture in the Classroom New Brunswick (AITC-NB) program, the Agricultural Alliance of New Brunswick (AANB) finds itself without a program coordinator and wants producers to be aware of the challenges it faces when it comes to operating the program in New Brunswick.
AITC-NB is a non-profit, charitable organization committed to providing accurate, balanced, and current curriculum-linked agri-food resources, programs, and initiatives based in science. It is part of AITC-Canada, the national voice for agriculture education with a vision for agriculture in every classroom to inspire every student. AITC-NB acts to engage New Brunswick students and educators to enhance their knowledge of agriculture and food.
The program began in New Brunswick in 2017 as a pilot program in two schools – one francophone and one anglophone. This year, 60 New Brunswick classes applied to deliver the Little Green Thumbs program and 25 applied to deliver the Little Green Sprouts program. Coordinating these programs alone is a full-time job that has traditionally been done by one bilingual staff person. However, we also offer additional programs, including Spuds in Tubs and Canadian Agriculture Literacy Month.
When a program grows like this, it needs more resources, and the challenge for the AANB is funding. While AITC-Canada provides provinces with access to these and other programs, each provincial organization must find the funds to operate within their province. And, on top of coordinating the various projects, the coordinator must apply for funding each year for their salary and program materials.
The AANB receives funds to cover some materials from New Brunswick’s Department of Post-Secondary Education, Training, and Labour. And the coordinator’s salary is covered by the Canadian Agricultural Partnership and delivered by the provincial Department of Agriculture, Aquaculture, and Fisheries.
Potatoes New Brunswick provides funds and in-kind support for the program, with executive director Matt Hemphill saying Ag in the Classroom is one of Potatoes New Brunswick’s most important initiatives. “It becomes harder each year to find people with specialized skills in agriculture and, more importantly, almost impossible to find people interested in our industry,” he said. “The importance of engaging children in agriculture at a young age is critical. If we are going to motivate or inspire people to become engaged in agriculture, it starts in the classroom. The current school curriculum lacks the special skills that we teach through this program.”
To date, New Brunswick’s Department of Education and Early Childhood Development has declined requests for funds. Armed with letters of support from AITC-Canada, Potatoes New Brunswick, and other commodity groups, the AANB has asked for a meeting with the provincial agriculture minister and will not advertise for a new coordinator until such a meeting occurs. Ideally, two coordinators are needed – one anglophone and one francophone. Some programs will need to be scaled back if there is still only funding for one coordinator.
In the interim, the national Little Green Thumbs organization has stepped forward to coordinate that program in New Brunswick. However, this will not include the valuable relationships developed with teachers nor the personal support during the year that a provincial coordinator offers.
Agriculture in the Classroom is critical as a way to inspire New Brunswick’s young people to understand where their food comes from, build awareness of our food system, and explore the vast diversity of career opportunities that agriculture has to offer.
New Brunswick’s Agriculture in the Classroom program has accomplished so much within its young existence, but it’s only at the tip of the iceberg of its potential for educational agricultural experiences in the province.
We need the government to make agriculture and agriculture education priorities. Please consider sending a letter of support for the program to New Brunswick’s agriculture minister or your MLA to share how important the Ag in the Classroom program is. Don’t hesitate to contact the AANB if you have any questions.
(Lisa Ashworth is president of the Agricultural Alliance of New Brunswick.)
