For Immediate Release
September 12, 2007
Illinois State Board of Education announces $1 million
to support agriculture education in Illinois
300 schools to
receive additional funds to invest in agriculture programs;
seven high schools starting
new ag education programs
SPRINGFIELD — The Illinois State Board of Education
(ISBE) today announced $1 million in agricultural education
incentive grants that will be distributed to 300 schools
around the state for the 2007-2008 school year. The
grants will help schools upgrade equipment, train teachers
and develop curriculum to educate children about the
state’s number one industry. In addition, the
grants assisted seven high schools in starting new
agricultural programs this year.
“These grants offer both the students and the
schools great dividends. When a student is involved
in an agricultural education program, they are learning
more than just agriculture,” said Christopher
Koch, State Superintendent of Education. “Agricultural
education is multidisciplinary and therefore reinforces
what is being taught in the core subjects of science,
language arts, mathematics and social science.”
The incentive grants will support local program improvement
including technology, equipment and curriculum development,
teacher training, field support services, program coordination,
pilot projects, and other initiatives. All schools
offering approved programs in agricultural education
at the high school level are eligible to apply for
incentive grants.
High school agricultural education teaches and reinforces
science, math, language arts and social science principles.
Major areas of instruction in secondary agricultural
education include: Agricultural Business, Agricultural
Mechanics & Technology, Horticulture, Agricultural
Sciences, and Environmental/Natural Sciences. Seven
high schools are starting agricultural education programs
for the 2007-2008 school year and include:
- Belvidere North High School, Belvidere
- Freeport High School, Freeport
- Johnston City High School, Johnston City
- Mattoon High School, Mattoon
- Momence High School, Momence
- Urbana High School, Urbana
- Watseka Community High School, Watseka
Only a small percentage of those people working in
agricultural industry are involved in production agriculture,
the rest work in agribusiness, communications, science,
government, education, processing and distribution,
marketing and sales, as well as other occupations that
serve the farmer or the total agricultural industry.
The Illinois Leadership Council for Agricultural Education
(ILCAE) reports that less than 2 percent of the United
States population is directly involved in the production
of food, yet 24.4 percent of the civilian workforce
in Illinois is employed in agriculture related careers.
Other agricultural education facts:
- 78 percent of the agricultural programs
receive academic course credit in math, science,
social studies, language
arts, or consumer economics.
-
In 2006, there were 26,329 agricultural education students – 9,075
were female, or 34 percent.
- Demographics of an agriculture student: 60 percent
live in a town or city; 27 percent live in a rural
area; 9 percent are minority.
Since 1989, ISBE has awarded more than $12 million
in incentive grants to schools. The grants are awarded
through regional Education for Employment partnerships.
Each partnership consists of a grouping of school districts
with a board of control made up of the superintendents
or their representative from each district.
Agricultural education in Illinois is supported by
a statewide agricultural education team that includes
the Illinois Leadership Council for Agricultural Education
(ILCAE), the Governor-appointed Illinois Committee
for Agricultural Education (ICAE), Illinois State Board
of Education (ISBE), Illinois FFA and its associated
groups, Illinois Association of Vocational Agriculture
Teachers (IAVAT), Illinois Association Community College
Agriculture Instructors (IACCAI), University Council,
Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom and FCAE.
A complete list of schools receiving the grants can
be found online at: http://www.isbe.net/pdf/ag_ed_allocations_08.pdf. |
