The Center for Dairy Excellence Foundation of Pennsylvania has opened registration for its dairy education programs for the 2016-2017 academic school year. These free-to-use resources are available to elementary, middle and high school educators who are interested in incorporating STEM-based dairy education into their classroom curriculum.

“The Center for Dairy Excellence Foundation is thrilled to launch both Discover Dairy and Dairy Leaders of Tomorrow for the 2016-2017 school year,” Jayne Sebright, executive director for the Center for Dairy Excellence, said. “Last year alone, these programs offered 45,000 students nationwide the opportunity to grasp an in-depth understanding of the dairy industry while applying concepts they learned in other classes.”

Discover Dairy is an interactive, cross-curricular lesson series that meets state educational and Common Core standards in science, math and reading for upper elementary and middle school. It shows students how milk is produced while demonstrating how dairy farms contribute to local communities and the economy. All of the resources are offered at no charge and can be found at the Discover Dairy website.

New in 2016, educators who register by Nov. 1, 2016, will be offered classroom posters and bookmarks for their students. Additionally, grants will be available starting in early September for classrooms interested in visiting a local dairy farm. Dairy producers are also encouraged to check out the farm tools page on the Discover Dairy website for resources when planning to host farm tours.

Dairy Leaders of Tomorrow is a comprehensive curriculum program designed specifically to prepare high school students for future careers within and related to the dairy industry. Students have the opportunity to pursue industry-recognized certificates for dairy herd management and in dairy business management through Dairy Leaders of Tomorrow while also being able to attend on-farm experiences, such as farm tours, and apply for scholarships for higher learning. Last year, 198 educators used Dairy Leaders of Tomorrow in their classroom and 10,739 students were impacted by the program.

All classrooms that enroll in the Dairy Leaders of Tomorrow program before Nov. 1, 2016, will be automatically entered into a drawing for $200 worth of classroom supplemental learning materials. To register and see more about this program, visit the Dairy Leaders of Tomorrow website.

Pennsylvania dairy producers and industry members are encouraged to share information about Discover Dairy and Dairy Leaders of Tomorrow with teachers and curriculum advisors within their local school district.

“With the average American being three to four generations removed from production agriculture, agricultural education is more important now than ever,” stated Mary Foote, dairy education programs manager for the Center for Dairy Excellence. “If dairy producers and industry encourage their local schools to utilize the center’s dairy education programs, our industry can touch thousands of classrooms across Pennsylvania and help cultivate a better understanding of what our industry does each and every day.”

The cost to participate in both these programs is generously covered through donations made to the Center for Dairy Excellence Foundation of Pennsylvania.  PD

—From Center for Dairy Excellence Foundation of Pennsylvania news release