GRAY — Morgan Kerr and Stephanie Enaire of Gray-New Gloucester Middle School have been selected winners of the National Excellence in Teaching about Agriculture Award for 2017.
The honor was announced by the National Agriculture in the Classroom Organization, U.S. Department of Agriculture and Farm Credit.
Kerr and Enaire were two of eight kindergarten-through-12th-grade teachers nationwide recognized for the innovative ways they use agricultural concepts to teach reading, writing, math, science, social studies, technology and engineering.
“These teachers exemplify how easily connections to agriculture can be made in classroom instruction,” Chris Fleming, president of NAITCO, said. “We honor them for the strides they make in agricultural literacy in their classrooms every day.”
Enaire and Kerr were also chosen by Maine Agriculture in the Classroom as 2016 Teachers of the Year at the 75th Annual Maine Agricultural Trades Show.
The two are teaching partners for grades five and six. They have added agriculture to all subjects across their curriculum. For example, they use their school garden to teach science, math and language arts. They have raised chickens with their students, visited local farms, explored agricultural careers and studied history through the remaining rock walls and foundations left from farms in their area.
Kerr has been a summer youth education director at Wolfe’s Neck Farm in Freeport. Enaire grew up on a dairy farm in the same county.
The winners will be honored at the National Agriculture in the Classroom Conference, Show Me Agriculture, June 20-23 in Kansas City, Missouri.
NAITCO is a non-profit organization representing most of the 50 state Agriculture in the Classroom programs.
Morgan Kerr and Stephanie Enaire from Gray-New Gloucester Middle School have been selected as winners of the National Excellence in Teaching about Agriculture Award for 2017.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
