Johnston, Iowa, and Lexington, Kentucky, USA
August 27, 2014

DuPont Pioneer and the National Association of Agricultural Educators (NAAE) are continuing their support of agriscience education through a grant program aimed at training teachers and supplying equipment and resources to elevate the rigor of agriculture and science curricula.  Grants of $2,500 to $5,000 are available to help prepare students for careers in agriculture and food.

DuPont Pioneer is working closely with the NAAE to award grants to teachers who are implementing Curriculum for Agricultural Science Education (CASE), but may lack sufficient resources.

“Many students desire a meaningful career that will address key global challenges,” said Michelle Gowdy, director of Community & Academic Relations for DuPont Pioneer. “It’s been a joy to see the excitement of both students and teachers as they increase their understanding of the tools and technologies that will be needed to feed the world’s growing population.”

CASE is a multi-year approach to agriscience education with rigorous educator training requirements and hands-on, inquiry focused learning activities. The collaboration with DuPont Pioneer and CASE is a special project of the National FFA Foundation. This is the third year of involvement in this effort by DuPont Pioneer.

“DuPont Pioneer is enhancing agricultural science education nationwide through its support of the CASE grant program,” said Dan Jansen, CASE Project director. “This program is critical to helping teachers overcome financial barriers that may prohibit them from accessing the curriculum and professional development opportunities offered by CASE. Both the students and the teachers benefit from the program.”

The DuPont Pioneer grants will be available to help with three areas teachers have identified as cost barriers to implementing the program in their schools – teacher training, equipment and materials, and end-of-course assessments.

The DuPont Pioneer Global Giving Program is intended to improve food security by advancing agriculture through science, education, and innovation and to enhance the quality of life for farmers and their communities globally. Addressing the unique challenges of our local communities promotes economic growth, improved health, and overall quality of life; all factors important to a healthy and strong business climate.      

CASE is an instructional system that is changing the culture of agriculture programs by equipping teachers to elevate student experiences in the agriculture classroom, and preparing students for success in college and careers emphasizing science, technology, engineering and math. To learn more about CASE, visit www.case4learning.org.

The National Association of Agricultural Educators manages the CASE curriculum.  NAAE is the professional organization in the United States for agricultural educators. It provides its nearly 8,000 members with professional networking and development opportunities, professional liability coverage and extensive awards and recognition programs. The mission of NAAE is “professionals providing agricultural education for the global community through visionary leadership, advocacy and service.” The NAAE headquarters are in Lexington, Ky.

The National FFA Foundation is the fundraising arm of the National FFA Organization, which provides agricultural education to 540,379 student members in grades seven through 12 who belong to one of 7,489 local FFA chapters throughout the United States, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.  The Foundation builds partnerships with industry, education, government, other foundations and individuals to secure financial resources that fund FFA activities, recognize member achievements, develop student leaders and support the future of agriculture education. Governed by a 19-member board of trustees comprised of educators, business leaders, individual donors and FFA alumni, the foundation is a separately registered nonprofit organization. About 82 percent of all sponsorship dollars received by the foundation support FFA members and agricultural education opportunities. For more, visit the National FFA Foundation at http://www.FFA.org/Give.
 

Website: http://www.pioneer.com

Published: August 27, 2014