Stay Informed

Chances are that for most schools, the 2020-21 school year will look very different from past years. Indiana Farm Bureau’s Agriculture in the Classroom (AITC) volunteers are up for the challenge.

In a more typical year, volunteers could expect to visit classrooms, offer activities and crafts, read fun and informational books aloud, show videos and provide short lessons that teach children a little bit about agriculture.

But this year, most schools won’t be allowing in any volunteers.

“I’ve received a 29-page document from the school board,” said Jamie Schilmiller of Floyd County. Schilmiller is an AITC volunteer but she is also mother to three children, all of whom are students in the local school system.

“They are saying no volunteers – including parent volunteers. So Farm Bureau can’t go in,” Schilmiller said.

That’s the case in most schools across the state, at least for this fall, said Lindi Kocher, INFB’s education coordinator. As a way to allow volunteers to continue to interact with students in spite of the restrictions, the AITC program has created an Adopt a Classroom initiative to provide volunteers with other opportunities to connect with classrooms from across the state through virtual formats, letters, photos, video lessons and activity kits. The initiative also can help teachers connect with volunteers.

Meanwhile, current AITC volunteers are making plans. Schilmiller said one thing she’s planning to do is use the social media platform Facebook to connect with classes. Facebook allows the creation of private groups, and Schilmiller is hoping to create a private group for each class she is matched up with. On that group page, she plans to show videos and photos of what’s actually happening during a particular season. She will then tie those images to a grade-appropriate practical lesson – for example, what percentage of the cost of a loaf of bread represents the farmer’s share or what fraction of the grain bin is filled.

“I think Facebook would be an easy way to talk to those classrooms,” she said.

Pam Jones of Pulaski County said schools in her area also won’t be allowing any visitors. She usually waits until the second semester to try to schedule time with a class, and that’s even more important this year. But she said she nonetheless plans to email teachers in the fall and offer kits or packages of materials that they can use to teach important STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) concepts.

“I’m getting excited about it because it’s going to be different,” she said. “It’s just going to be finding that look and that vision that fits in with COVID. We need to respect what the school and the teachers are going through.

“I will miss interaction with the kids – they give you a whole new perspective on things,” she added.

Connie Muhlenkamp of Jay County will have no problem getting into her local school because she is a school library instructor. However, even for her things are going to have to change, though not as much as for the AITC volunteers who aren’t school employees.

“I plan to do an Ag in the Classroom lesson for all the students every 4-6 weeks as part of their library instruction. They have proven to be some of their favorite lessons,” she said. “However, I plan to wear a mask or shield and pre-prep any supplies they will need in individual baggies or envelopes.”

The aides for the first grade classes will also do an AITC lesson each month, she added.