An innovative new component of Michigan Farm Bureau’s educational outreach programming earned national recognition at this week’s American Farm Bureau Federation convention in San Antonio. The latest addition to MFB’s Agriculture in the Classroom lineup, the FARM Science Van earned a national-level New Horizons award for innovative educational outreach programming.
A smaller sibling of the twin FARM Science Lab trailers that’ve crisscrossed both peninsulas for years, the FARM Science Van takes trained educators to deliver lessons aligning with current content standards and agricultural literacy.
“Between our hard-working county volunteers and support from our state Promotion & Education leaders, we’ve been able to make this opportunity come to life and be a great addition to the FARM Science program,” said Michelle Blodgett, manager of MFB’s Ag in the Classroom program. “The van has given us the opportunity to reach smaller schools, home-school groups, and more urban populations where the FARM Science Labs may be too big to park.”
Schools enjoy the convenience of a hands-on agricultural learning experience without the hassle of transportation or field trip permissions. Both the labs and the van come equipped with trained educators delivering STEM lessons in an agricultural context.
“Schools have really embraced the opportunity to increase their students’ agricultural literacy,” Blodgett said. “We look forward to opportunities to grow this type of programming into the future.”
Feedback from teachers is overwhelmingly positive, with the vast majority saying their students were highly engaged with FARM Science Van lessons. Almost 90% of participating educators report their students’ understanding of agriculture increased as a result, and even more say they’re eager to rebook another visit.
“It was a very well-done lesson,” said Jessica Harman, a third-grade teacher at the Renaissance Public School Academy in Mt. Pleasant. “It was engaging and my students learned a lot.”
“My students really enjoyed the lesson and learning about sugar beets,” said Kara VandePol, a third-grade teacher at Fremont Christian Elementary. “They thought it was awesome to use the microscopes to look at the sugar.”
By adding the van to its 2023-24 lineup, MFB’s FARM Science program expanded its outreach by 11%, reaching 2,130 additional K-5 students at 14 schools. In its pilot year, the van reached 2,130 students and 99 teachers. The goal for 2024-25 is to expand this outreach to 5,000 students and 225 teachers.
“I was so proud to receive the New Horizons award on behalf of our state and our members and staff who came up with this fantastic idea,” said new MFB President Ben LaCross, who accepted the award from AFBF President Zippy Duval.
Other state Farm Bureaus taking home New Horizon Awards this week include Delaware, Illinois, Montana, South Carolina and Wisconsin. Awards recognizing excellence in implementation of member programs and membership achievement in 2024 were presented at the American Farm Bureau Federation’s 106th Convention.
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