HARRISBURG, Pa. — To help elementary and middle school teachers expose their students to agriculture and dairy farming this school year, the Discover Dairy program offers a multi-level lesson series, classroom enrichment activities, digital resources and more at no cost to educators. Managed by the Dairy Excellence Foundation, there are more than 52,000 classrooms from Pennsylvania and beyond currently enrolled in the Discover Dairy program. Discover Dairy has a web portal to make lessons and content easy to navigate for teachers as well as an interactive app to help students engage with the program.
“Our goal is to make the Discover Dairy content as easily accessible for teachers as possible – and to make learning about dairy farming exciting for students,” said Brittany Snyder, Dairy Education Program Manager at the Dairy Excellence Foundation. “From cross-curricular lessons that are focused on animal health and dairy nutrition to virtual farm tours, video motivators, lab resources and so much more, the Discover Dairy platform is interactive and user-friendly for teachers. It really brings dairy farming to life for elementary and middle school students.”
The lesson series meets Pennsylvania state education standards and anchors for science, math and reading. The program also incorporates social studies and STEM concepts to show students where milk comes from and how dairy farms contribute to our world. Teachers who sign up for the Discover Dairy program have the opportunity to apply for farm tour field trip grants throughout the school year.
“I have never seen my class so engaged and wanting to learn as much as they did. Our dairy farm was so efficient in their tour and answered all of my students’ questions. The hands-on experience with the calves is what my students are still talking about,” said Katelynn, an agriculture teacher who received a grant for a farm tour field trip through Discover Dairy. “I am so thankful to have had this opportunity with my students. This is definitely one field trip I feel my students will always remember.”
The Adopt a Cow program is also managed by the Discover Dairy program. The free program, which has impacted more than 1.2 million students worldwide, is a year-long, interactive learning opportunity that gives students an inside look at a dairy farm in the United States. Each classroom that enrolls in the Adopt a Cow program is paired with a calf from a dairy farm. Teachers and students receive photos, video updates, and activity sheets throughout the school year that allow them to watch their calf grow. Teachers must sign up for the Adopt a Cow program by September 15, 2023.
“I would encourage other teachers to take advantage of all the Adopt a Cow resources, because it’s free to us as teachers. The program makes such great connections. Students learn to appreciate where their food comes from and are able to put a ‘face’ to the milk at the grocery store. It’s giving kids those opportunities to connect what they’re learning in school to what’s actually going on in the community,” said Anna Breitbach, a first-grade teacher from South Florida who participated in the program.
The Discover Dairy program also includes an online library of classroom enrichment activities for teachers to utilize throughout the school year, including: virtual farm tours, educational video resources, a list of dairy-themed books, games and activities, and downloadable classroom material such as posters, activity sheets and more.
For dairy producers who want to get involved with schools in their community, resources are also available on the Discover Dairy website. There is a farm tour planning kit with guides, checklists, activity ideas, and frequently asked consumer questions. A Classroom Calf Experience is also available for dairy producers who want to connect with their local schools by providing calf experiences.
Teachers and dairy producers can access the free Discover Dairy resources at www.discoverdairy.com.
To sign up for the Adopt a Cow program by September 15, visit www.discoverdairy.com/adopt. For more information about the Discover Dairy program, contact Brittany Snyder at [email protected] or call 717-346-0849.
Discover Dairy is an educational series managed by the Center for Dairy Excellence Foundation of Pennsylvania in partnership with American Dairy Association Northeast, American Dairy Association Indiana, Midwest Dairy, The Dairy Alliance, Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin, Dairy Council of Arizona and Nevada, Dairy West, New England Dairy, Dairy Farmers of Washington, American Dairy Association Mideast, Dairy Council of Florida, United Dairy Industry of Michigan, Maine Dairy and Nutrition Council, and Oregon Dairy and Nutrition Council.
–Emily Barge, Center for Dairy Excellence
