Monsanto Company recently announced its intentions to give $50,000 to the Agriculture in the Classroom (AITC) Consortium. The announcement was made at the National Agriculture in the Classroom Conference in New Orleans. AITC is a grassroots student educational program coordinated by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) with chapters in all states and territories. State AITC programs address the need for agriculture literacy at the K-12 student level, with innovative curricular efforts designed specifically to reach non-traditional agriculture students.

"The AITC Consortium is privileged to continue utilizing these grant dollars which will benefit students and teachers around the country who want to learn more about agriculture," said Monica Pastor, University of Arizona Agriculture Literacy and President of Agriculture in the Classroom Consortium. "In an era of shrinking financial resources, Monsanto's gift continues to enhance our state programs through the competitive grant process. This gift provides additional opportunities for deserving educational projects at the state level which are then shared with all states."

The Monsanto gift will be used to fund three projects per year over the next three years through a competitive state-level grant process administered by the AITC Consortium. The grants will award outstanding initiatives developed by state AITC programs focused on biotechnology, plant sciences, or agriculture and the environment. Supporting AITC allows Monsanto to maintain its commitment to science education and grassroots efforts that improve the understanding of biotechnology.

"Today our business focuses entirely on agriculture. Our number one goal is help farmers be successful and we know that's about more than just great products. AITC's work is invaluable to our customers and the entire agricultural industry," said Jammy Turner, Monsanto Sales Representative and an active volunteer with AITC in Arkansas. "We all must work together to educate the next generation of consumers and opinion leaders about these issues."

This grant continuation was marked by the announcement of the 2007 Monsanto Outreach for Agriculture awards. "The AITC Consortium is pleased to announce the grants of $5,000 to Alaska, South Carolina, and Virginia AITC Programs that will benefit students and teachers through professional development activities and agriculture related workshops," said Pastor. "This year's winning projects involving the life of a feeder steer, the periodic chart of elements and a farm-to-table teacher/student resource deck." These projects will be utilized by their own states and will serve as models for many other states. Alaska, Virginia and South Carolina AITC Programs were selected as the recipients of the grants after an impartial grant review conducted by the National AITC Consortium.

The 2007 National Agriculture in the Classroom Conference was held June 6 through 9 in New Orleans. The conference explored the "spicy" combination of education and agriculture with a Mardi Gras flair. Designed for teachers and volunteers who have an interest in agricultural literacy, the AITC National Conference demonstrated how to incorporate agricultural concepts across the curriculum through interesting and engaging activities and lessons.