To empower K–12 educators through high-quality professional development that enhances student understanding of agriculture, STEM, and their interconnected role in our daily lives. By equipping teachers with the tools, knowledge, and confidence to integrate agriculture into their curriculum, we aim to foster an agriculturally literate society—one that recognizes the critical impact of agriculture on our health, environment, economy, and overall quality of life.
The Agricultural Literacy and STEM program offers dynamic professional learning opportunities designed to support K–12 educators in integrating agriculture into their teaching. Each year, the program hosts several farm tours across Arizona, giving teachers the chance to experience real-world agricultural operations and develop lesson plans that connect food and fiber systems to classroom content. These immersive experiences allow educators to engage directly with farmers and agricultural experts while learning how to incorporate Arizona-specific agriculture into their curriculum. In addition to in-person tours, the program offers a monthly virtual series called Growing Maricopa, which is open to the whole state & provides seasonal garden-themed webinars. These sessions offer practical tips for successful school gardens, curriculum connections, and access to guest speakers. Teachers who participate receive ag-accurate books, seeds, transplants, and gardening supplies to support implementation in their classrooms. Through these opportunities, educators gain the tools and confidence needed to build agricultural awareness and STEM understanding in their students.
The program is ever evolving, and hoping to work with 4H to be a Junior Master Gardener hub for the state of AZ. This will include garden curriculum development and school garden support to best engage their students or clubs.