Agriculture Education and Advocacy

Agriculture Education (AgEd) & Advocacy is a Pilot Light program that aims to connect students to the impact agriculture has on their lives and empower them to explore their role in the food system. The Agriculture Education & Advocacy program has been designed around 4 Pillars of AgEd & Advocacy: Food Education, Growth for All, Environmental Action, and Common Ground.

It was originally funded through a generous grant through the USDA’s National Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA)’s FASLP (Food and Service Learning) program. AgEd & Advocacy consists of seven lessons aligned to both NGSS and Pilot Light’s Food Education Standards, and the program culminates in a Student Advocacy Project.

AgEd and Advocacy Lesson 1: Raising Food

Students will deconstruct a ham and cheese sandwich, trace the ingredients back to the sources and determine the environmental factors and resources needed.

AgEd and Advocacy Lesson 2: Organic vs. Conventional – How Do We Grow Our Food?

Students analyze conventionally grown and organically grown food to make an argument about which form of agriculture is best.

AgEd and Advocacy Lesson 3: How It’s Made – Exploring Non-Food Agricultural Products

Students use the visual representation of a web to explore the role of agriculture in their daily lives.

AgEd and Advocacy Lesson 4: Agricultural Technology – Farming in the 21st Century

Students will explore and discuss how technology has changed over time to help farmers/ranchers provide more food to more people.

AgEd and Advocacy Lesson 5: Agricultural Careers

Students will explore careers related to agriculture, identifying personal interests within agriculture or a related field.

AgEd and Advocacy Lesson 6: Advocating for our Hungry Planet

Students analyze photos of families and their meals from different countries to explore how agriculture impacts food availability globally.

AgEd and Advocacy Lesson 7: Student Advocacy Project

Working in small groups, students choose a specific agriculture-related issue they are passionate about advocating for.