I've been fortunate to work with California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom for many years. In fact, my own sister earned an award from AITC for her work integrating agriculture into her classroom. At the time, she worked for a charter school serving immigrants and first generation Americans. She found especially helpful the Taste and Teach lessons where she exposed her students to fruits and vegetables they had never experienced. She was surprised to learn how few of her students had ever seen a kiwi before, much less tasted it.

As a board member, I have been even more involved in this organization. This fall, I attended the annual AITC Teacher Conference in Ventura. This was my first time at an in‐person conference. I was thrilled to see great attendance and teachers from across California learning about agriculture and strategies to incorporate it into their classroom. A great cross section of agriculture comes together for this event and to support our teachers – from our commodity groups to our soil amendment companies and UCCE. The importance of this event is truly understood across the agriculture community.

What I didn't expect to find at the conference was the level of positive energy, fun, and frankly joy from these teachers. They weren't just attending a conference; they were having a blast while learning. After the last few challenging years in education, our event brought so much fun to educators, and it was thrilling to be a part of it. I have witnessed firsthand the need for agricultural education and the need for AITC. This summer our family attended the California State Fair and two different county fairs so that my son could exhibit his dairy and beef cattle. We witnessed how hungry people were to learn about agriculture. We watched many people touch a cow for the first time and learn that the milk in the grocery store comes from cows, just like the ones we had on display. For many visitors, this was their only exposure to agriculture. That is why we need California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom.

Donors like you who make this incredible work possible. Whether you have donated before, or this is your first time, your contribution directly supports AITC efforts across the state. Won't you please help us get materials into the hands of more educators and students? Our ultimate goal is to increase awareness and understanding of the bounty of the golden state. Donate today to help us continue teaching students throughout California where their food and fiber comes from!

Sincerely,

Shannon Douglass
President