Partner Resources

Growing Success: A School Garden Organization Template

An OAC student has created a digital tool to facilitate efficient planning and enhanced communication between teachers managing school gardens. "Growing Success" helps teachers create a living record where all users involved in a school garden can quickly and easily compile their activities. It includes six helpful templates, including a Class-Use Schedule, a Budgeting Tool, a Crop Planning Tool, a Seasonal Activities Chart, a Fundraising Chart, and a Resource Guide.

Download School Garden Organization Template

This workbook was compiled and created by Jenna West in 2022 while studying agriculture at the University of Guelph. Funding to support its development was provided by the W.S. (Stan) Young Memorial Communications Grant through the OAC Alumni Foundation.

AgScape

AgScape is the voice of Agriculture in the Classroom Ontario, AgScape provides factual, balanced, curriculum-linked food literacy programs and resources to Ontario's educators and students. Agscape is a not for profit, registered charity dedicated to enhancing the learning experiences of students by providing high quality, objective, and curriculum-linked agriculture and food-related learning materials and programs to Ontario educators. Further information is available on the AgScape website at www.agscape.ca

Teacher Ambassador Program 

Through AgScape`s Teacher Ambassador Program, Ontario Certified Teachers visit classrooms to provide lessons about agriculture and food. Lessons are available on a wide range of topics - food security, local food, environmental initiatives, and animal health and welfare, to name a few. AgScape’s Teacher Ambassador lessons align with the Ontario curriculum for Grades 7 to 12 and are offered free of charge. Starting September 2020, AgScape will be offering these lessons in virtual delivery. To learn more or to book a free in-class lesson, visit agscape.ca/request-ta.

Agri-Trekking Gamified Resource

Ontario teachers can teach their Grade 4 - 6 & 7 - 8 classes about agriculture and food in a fun and interactive way with AgScape’s Agri-Trekking Across Ontario gamified resource. Throughout the year, teachers can register their entire class, school or school board to take part in the Agri-Trekking Across Ontario Challenge, a province-wide playing of the games, to learn more about local food, sustainable practices and much more. To learn more, visit agscape.ca/agri-trekking-across-ontario-challenge.

Business of Food eLearning Platform

The Business of Food (BOF) eLearning Platform allows Ontario educators and teacher candidates to build knowledge and understanding of agriculture and food at their own pace, from any location. Currently, AgScape offers 2 courses, BOF-101 and BOF-102, 4 times a year, which will help educators to:

• Have confidence when discussing and teaching foundational topics in relation to agriculture and food with Ontario students
• Apply their knowledge and engage within a network of professional of learning with colleagues
• Learn about educational resources and programs available to support classroom learning about agriculture and food
• Learn about how agriculture and food relate to their daily life and well being

To learn more on how to receive a scholarship to take a Business of Food course for free, please visit agscape.ca//bof-educators.

ThinkAG Career Competitions

AgScape’s ThinkAg Career Competitions are an excellent opportunity to help students, grades 5-12, make-real world connections and learn about future career pathways in the agri-food sector. Students will rotate between different stations where they will meet agri-food industry representatives and participate in interactive activities that tests their overall employability and general agri-food knowledge. This is a free event that is run with multiple classes in your school. Starting September 2020, AgScape will be offering this event in virtual delivery. To learn more, please go to agscape.ca/thinkag-cc.

Growing Careers

From Communications, Engineering and Economics, to Food and Animal Sciences - the possibilities are endless when it comes to career opportunities in the ag-sector. 

AgScape's YouTube channel provides teachers and students with an introduction to the variety of careers found within the agri-food sector, and includes more than 75 Career Profile videos as well as recorded live tours of farming and food facilities. Learn more from the experts by watching our videos.

Digital Resource Library

AgScape offers a free, one-stop e-library of agriculture and food-focused curriculum-linked resources for teachers. With more than 100 FREE and downloadable digital materials for Grades 1 – 12, these resources allow teachers to easily integrate agriculture and food education into their classroom teachings. Register today to access these FREE resources at  agscape.ca/resources.