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Minnesota Agriculture in the Classroom

Grants & Awards

First Year Teacher Grant

Minnesota Agriculture in the Classroom (MAITC) is a unique public/private partnership between the MAITC Foundation and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. The MAITC Foundation has included the First Year Teacher Grant program in their budget. The maximum grant request is $200.

First Year Teacher Grant Goals

The MAITC Program and Foundation recognize that first year teachers face a unique set of challenges as they begin their teaching career. The goals of this first year teacher grant program are to:

  1. Support first year educators in integrating agriculture into their classroom and curriculum
  2. Allow MAITC to establish and grow relationships with college students as they transition to employment in schools and educational settings.

MAITC aims to fund projects that provide K-12 students the opportunity to experience agriculture in a cross-curricular manner. We strongly encourage teachers to utilize the many educational resources provided by MAITC free of charge. You can find them by clicking on the "EDUCATOR CENTER" link in the main navigation in our website.

Eligibility

This grant opportunity is limited to Minnesota licensed K-12 teachers in their first year of teaching K-12 students.

Grant Application Evaluation

  • Innovation and sustainability are important factors the grant committee will use in evaluating grant applications.
  • When developing ideas for your grant application, please consider ways you can engage students in understanding agriculture from farm to plate, and how agriculture impacts all of us within our local community, state, nation and around the world.
  • MAITC defines agriculture as the industry that grows, harvests and brings us food, fiber, trees, turf and landscaping materials. It brings us almost everything we eat, wear and use each day.

Grant Implementation Ideas

  • Use grant funds to purchase needed supplies for the many lessons showcased in the Curriculum Matrix. Explore the National Ag in the Classroom estore for easy to order lesson materials.
  • Inspire students to participate in hands-on learning experiences by using grant funds to purchase materials and equipment to grow plants or raise animals in your classroom or school.
  • Purchase agriculture-themed books and other reading materials for your classroom or school library.