AITC kicks off Sprout Scouts Program

We kicked off our newest Ag in the Classroom initiative for Clinton County—Sprout Scouts! This exciting program pairs high school FFA students with grade school classrooms for the entire school year. Our four Sprout Scouts will visit their assigned classrooms about once a month to present hands-on AITC lessons.

The Sprout Scouts program helps strengthen partnerships among our AITC coordinator, local FFA chapters, and elementary schools. It also encourages leadership development and inspires future educators in the field of agriculture. Young children benefit from seeing older students model positivity, confidence, and enthusiasm for farming and learning. It truly is a win-win for everyone involved.

For November, our lessons focused on Thanksgiving and the many foods we enjoy that are grown right here in Illinois. One of our new Sprout Scouts even raises turkeys on her family’s farm!

Students in 2nd and 3rd grade learned the parts of a turkey, discovered fun facts about green beans and potatoes, and watched how pecans are shaken from the trees. But the highlight of the day was definitely doing the Turkey Dance and learning how to gobble like a turkey!

We are excited to begin another Sprout Scouts session in January featuring students from Breese Central and one of their feeder schools.