Butte teacher wins scholarship to agricultural literacy conference

BUTTE — A local school teacher is receiving national recognition for her efforts to bring agriculture into the classroom.

Polly Rowell, a first-grade teacher at Butte Elementary School, was recently selected to receive the White-Reinhardt Fund for Education Teacher Scholarship. The Butte teacher is one of 10 teachers nationwide who received the recognition. The scholarship will provide up to $1,200 for costs associated with attending the National Agriculture in the Classroom Conference. The conference will be held in June in Costa Mesa, Calif.

“It’s just a fantastic opportunity,” Rowell said. “I’m really excited about it.”

Rowell applied for the scholarship after attending a workshop about agriculture in the Mat-Su Valley and the education opportunities that exist here. The workshop was hosted by Alaska Agriculture in the Classroom, a US Department of Agriculture program that is funded here by the Alaska Farm Bureau.

During the last two years, Rowell said she’s been teaching her students about plants. Her lesson plans include everything from how to grow seeds to the life cycle of plants. In addition to in-school education, the teacher said field trips to local farms have been an important tool in the teaching process.

“It’s really good for our kids to see where our food comes from,” she said.

Students need to realize they don’t have to depend on grocery stores to provide food, Rowell said, especially with the Butte area being a major agriculture producer in Alaska.

“I just feel like having that knowledge will help sustain them,” she said.

Rowell and her students also participated in Alaska Agriculture Day at Butte Elementary last spring.

The American Farm Bureau Foundation For Agriculture reports that the scholarship is a joint effort between the foundation and the bureau’s Women’s Leadership Committee. The program was created to pay tribute to Berta White and Linda Reinhardt, former chairs of the committee who led efforts to promote and improve agriculture literacy.

The National AITC conference is in its 27th year and is the premier event for cross-curricular teacher and volunteer training in agricultural literacy.

George Troxel, superintendent of the Mat-Su Borough School District, said he’s proud a local teacher is among the handful nationwide to be recognized by such a reputable and prominent organization.

“It’s nice to see that recognition coming our way,” Troxel said. “It’s also nice to know we have that caliber of teacher in the district.”

Although some might not expect agriculture to be a big part of education in the Valley, Troxel said agriculture has an important a place in the Mat-Su Borough School District.

In addition to Rowell’s classroom, agriculture has also found a place at Palmer High School, Troxel said. The school has a teacher dedicated to the subject as a part of the career and technical education offerings at the school.

“We’re constantly looking at ways to open up new opportunities in the Valley,” Troxel said.

Rowell said she looks forward to attending the conference for many reasons. Not only is it a chance to learn more about agriculture, she also hopes to bring back a wealth of knowledge to share with students and teachers.

Contact Chris Gillow at chris.gillow@frontiersman.com or 352-2284.