Canadian Agriculture Literacy Month (CALM)

Your generosity helped thousands of Manitoba students build stronger connections to the food they eat and develop a deeper appreciation for the role agriculture plays in their lives during Canadian Agriculture Literacy Month (CALM)/Mois de la littératie agricole canadienne (MLAC) in March 2024!

This year, our focus in Manitoba was on Caring For Our Watersheds. Through a short video, activity and demonstration, students explored what watersheds are, which one they belonged to, how watersheds function, and why caring for our watersheds is important. Students also discovered what farmers are doing to ensure the health and sustainability of our watersheds, and then brainstormed ways they, too, can care for their watershed.

CALM is an initiative of Agriculture in the Classroom Canada. Now in its 12th year, it celebrates linking students to food producers and leaders in the agriculture industry so the next generation of Canadians not only knows where their food comes from, but also the importance of the sector to communities from coast to coast. 

Below you’ll find information about the event’s impact, as well as resources you can use to share your impact with your teams and audiences. 

• Participants: Students in Grades 2, 3 and 4
• Venue: 347 English and French classrooms across Manitoba
• Dates: March 2024

• 7,415 student experiences recorded
• 302 teacher experiences recorded              
• 347 classrooms reached                      
• 179 schools reached                                                                    
• 150 volunteers participated                          
• 349 activities/resources distributed
• 742 volunteer hours were provided by supporters to make this event possible
• $10, 017 worth of volunteer contributions from our partners went into running this program

Students

"The watershed activity was so cool. It is so important to take care of our waste so that the animals don't get sick."
– Grade 1/2 Student, Island Lakes Community School

Teachers

"We loved how animated our volunteer was and included us all in his teaching. He was so informative and kind."
– Julie Tanchak, Teacher, Island Lakes Community School, Grade 1/2

“My students loved the sticker activity about watersheds. The paper and pencil activity was a great lead-in to our Earth Day conversations about they can also do their part to help reduce pollution.”
– Stacy Milne, Teacher, Lakewood School, Grade 2/3

“Students took the initiative to do the soil experiment suggested at the end of the book and were very curious about the results. We have a composting program at our school and since the presentation more students have volunteered to help with it. They also organized to keep the playground clean. Students are talking to each other at lunch about not using any plastic-wrappers or cutlery.” 
– Harbans Rihal, Teacher, Greenway School, Grade 4/5

“My kids did enjoy the watershed demo. It made them realize the importance of taking care of the environment. That afternoon, a small group of kids from my class took the initiative to pick up garbage from the school yard. They were impacted by the watershed demo instantly!”
– Carmelita Espino, Teacher, Arthur E, Wright Community School, Grade 3/4

Volunteers

“At the end of one classroom visit, a student came up to me as I was gathering my items and said that they has never heard of agriculture before but thought it looked super fun, and that they wanted to pursue agriculture in the future before giving me a hug.”
– Emily Robb, Volunteer, University of Manitoba student

“One story that stands out to me was a boy who very loudly announced his disinterest in learning about watersheds, but then following the hands-on activity, he ended up being a vocal and enthusiastic contributor to the discussion. Actually seeing the change and how the lesson sparked his engagement was so exciting and rewarding, and speaks to the quality of the resources provided.”
– Lynda Nicol, Volunteer, Manitoba Association of Watersheds

Click on the button below to access and download photos from Dropbox. Permission has been grated for use of these photos. If you have any questions or need any assistance, please contact ryan@aitc.mb.ca.

These amazing experiences would not have been possible without your vision and commitment. We are inspired by your dedication and look forward to our continued partnership in nurturing the next generation of consumers, voters, innovators, and agriculture professionals.

Inspire Through Stories

Educators and students love books – and so do we. Your generous donation will allow us to distribute 400 agriculture-themed storybooks and fuel young imaginations during CALM/MLAC 2025.