Speaker: Senators' statements - 
Déclarations des sénateurs.
Senator Black, Ontario
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Honourable colleagues, 
I rise today to draw attention to a
wonderful cross-Canada educational initiative called Agriculture in the Classroom.
Agriculture in the Classroom Canada is a
charitable organization that delivers educational programs
and resources related to agriculture to students across the country.
They have member organizations in most provinces and
in 2018 reached over 1 million students in
schools.
Ag in the Classroom aims to share knowledge
about agriculture and
food in a way that makes it tangible and
easy to understand for students of all
ages.
Their programs are based on curriculum objectives and are inquiry-based,
allowing students to get their hands dirty - sometimes literally -
and use critical thinking skills.
Connecting agriculture to food lets students clearly see
how it affects their daily lives and how
agriculture is an important part of our economy and way of life.
Among other things, students learn
about food safety, how their food is produced,
and how to make informed
choices about food.
Ag in the classroom also provides high school students
with information and resources about careers in agriculture.
Our youth don't always think about agriculture
when considering their future careers.
There are so many opportunities and different ways to get involved.
Working in agriculture doesn't just mean farming.
As we know, there are jobs in business, information technology, science,
research, marketing, environmental protection, nonprofit work, and much more.
Working in the agriculture industry can even get you to the Senate of Canada.
I thought today would be a good time to speak about this topic,
as we're almost in March and March is
Canadian Agricultural Literacy Month.
With spring approaching - not fast enough
my liking, given today -
it's a great time to learn about agriculture
and the major effect it has on our everyday lives.
Thank you very much for your attention.
Merci. Miigwetch.
