Are you a retired, part-time, or currently a teacher who works four days a week? Are you an extension agent who would like to get more connected with the schools in your area? If so, Ag in the Classroom has an opportunity for you! Oklahoma Ag in the Classroom is working with Nutrien to bring the Seed Survivor Mobile Classroom to Oklahoma from January 27th – March 14th. They will have two mobile classrooms in the state during that time and will need 2 people per mobile classroom (4 total) to present to students during the day.
Farm Director KC Sheperd reached out to State Ag In the Classroom Coordinator Melody Blosser to get more information about the exciting opportunity. “It is going to be in Central and Western Oklahoma because that is where Nutrien has a presence,” Blosser said. “We are still in the process of reaching out to classrooms and inviting them to participate.”
Those selected will spend 4-6 hours per day at a school presenting to students, and receive training, hourly compensation, mileage, and even cost for meals. In addition, depending on location, the cost of a hotel might also be covered. They will not be required to work every day, either, but only when they are able to.
“The program teaches elementary students about plants and the importance of agriculture,” Blosser detailed. “It is a little one-hour program, primarily designed for third and fourth-grade students.”
Two different trailers will be used for the program and move in two different tracks across the state. One will start in Jackson and Tillman counties in far Southwest Oklahoma and will also reach into the Oklahoma City metro area to reach students in both rural and urban areas.
The program will be provided to participating schools free of charge. People interested in helping teach the program should reach out to emily.ague@ag.ok.gov by January 20th for details.
Read an Accurate Ag Book Week is another program that Ag in the Classroom puts on, and it has grown into one of the largest activities of the organization. September 6 is the nationally named Read A Book Day, but in 2025, it falls on Saturday. Be watching the Ag in the Classroom website after the State Summer Conference in July for this year’s dates.
“We have really loved how so many people around the state, who are involved in agriculture, have made it a yearly event,” Blosser stated. “We want to give a shoutout to our good Ag in the Classroom teacher, Amber Bales. She is the one who asked us to participate at the state level because that was something that National was doing one time. I think we have grown that to a really great event.”
Oklahoma Ag in the Classroom accepts grant proposals from educators to expand agricultural literacy in Oklahoma schools. Funding for these grants has been made available through the Oklahoma Pork Council, and proposals with a focus on pigs or pork will receive 5 bonus points.
Six Grants will be awarded in the amount of $500 each and will be awarded in both the fall and the spring giving educators twelve opportunities to receive one. Proposals are funded based on project merit and the availability of funds. The application deadlines are February 15 and September 15.
Project objectives must promote students’ understanding of the food and fiber system and support the use of the Oklahoma Ag in the Classroom program in the overall classroom curriculum. More information can be found here on the website.
“We cannot thank the Oklahoma Pork Council enough for their sponsorship through the years of these grants,” Blosser said. “We know that supplies and resources are expensive for those hands-on activities, and this is one way to get that for your students.”
Another fun program initiated by Ag in the Classroom is Aggie and Annie. Blosser’s colleague, Annie Davis, came up with the idea to create a children’s picture book and named it Flat. There is also a chapter book for older children called Flat Aggie & Annie.
“Aggie and Annie are twins who live on a farm,” Blosser detailed. “We have blowup characters that can visit schools, and we also have a resource guide that every student in the classroom can have. The students just love those characters. They are so much fun.”
The book, Flat Aggie & Annie, has its own Instagram page @flataggieandannie to follow as well.
The Aggie & Annie Discover Agriculture is the theme of Ag in the Classroom’s contest this year; however, the entry deadline was on Monday, January 6. Students submit posters, coloring sheets, and photos, and then in late winter, Ag in the Classroom representatives travel to the schools the winning students are from to present their awards. This annual contest is sponsored by the Oklahoma Beef Council.
Within the next six weeks or so, the Oklahoma Ag in the Classroom Teacher of the Year will be announced. Both the contest-winning students and the Teacher of the Year will be invited to Ag Day in late April for more recognition and awards.
For educators just learning of Ag in the Classroom, Blosser detailed two ways for them to get started: visit the website and contact one of the three coordinators: Blosser, Emily Ague, or Annie Davis, or utilize the free resources available on the website.
“We are glad to have a Zoom session or a phone call or visit your school to really explain Ag in the Classroom,” Blosser shared.
She also suggested following the organization on social media. To visit the Facebook page, click here, or for Instagram, click here.
“That is a great way to find out about our activities,” she added. “Our State Summer Conference is another great way to get involved. It is free for teachers and we always feed you a great lunch, usually Ted’s. This year it will be on July 10th at Metro Technology Center in Oklahoma City. The biggest thing is that you get to network with other teachers, and maybe you see or hear an idea and take it to your classroom.”
Attending teachers receive a gift at the door, free resources are available and may attend various break-out sessions.
“Start small, and then see how else you can fit Ag in the Classroom into your existing curriculum. We have something for every subject area, so whatever you need to teach, there is probably a tie to agriculture, and we probably have a resource,” Blosser advised.
The only thing the organization offers that costs money for teachers new to the program is the Summer Road Trip. Fifty-three teachers go on a three-day agricultural field trip to tour various agricultural venues. Applications will go live on the website and social media pages on March 1.
