Wyoming Agriculture in the Classroom is Racing Towards Big Goals

By Jessie Dafoe

I love the movie Secretariat. The owner of the magnificent racehorse had grit, determination and recognized the horse’s potential. 

In the last few years, I would like to think the Wyoming Agriculture in the Classroom (WAIC) Board and staff have been much like the racehorse owner while developing and implementing the Wyoming Stewardship Project (WSP), the curriculum for classrooms. We have been diligent in our daily efforts to get better, learn from our struggles and be ready for our final race. This is the time we need you as we head into our final sprint to see just how fast and how far we can go.

Wyoming’s legacy depends on our actions today. With your help, we can prepare our students to be entrusted with the success of Wyoming through the experience of our curriculum. The stewardship of our core industries and the character of our people make Wyoming a unique and strong state. 

WAIC is committed to preserving this legacy by building students’ Wyoming industry knowledge, instilling stewardship values and providing analytical thinking skills for our youth. 

The curriculum developed has proven successful and will continue Wyoming’s legacy as our future leaders execute sound decisions based on analytical thinking. The WSP provides an opportunity for students in second through fifth grade to comprehend an understanding of Wyoming’s economy and help them to internalize what it means to be a steward in their home, classroom, community and ultimately, the state. 

We are committed to using rigorous methods for effectiveness to evaluate and drive our results.

Current classroom data of the program reports the following student growth: 83 percent increased their analytical thinking; 88 percent realized the economic impact of Wyoming’s natural resources; and 93 percent understood the information in the units. Our goal is to be in 825 classrooms by 2025. This means over 50 percent of classrooms, or 16,000 students annually, will experience this crucial education in elementary classrooms across the state.

I mentioned earlier our final sprint; What does this mean? We are currently racing towards a $5 million campaign goal for both program support to make sure we reach the classroom participation goal and create an endowment to support the future of this project. Will you help us? 

When you support Wyoming Agriculture in the Classroom, you support teachers and students in your community who need this education experience and, in turn, preserve the legacy we hold dear in Wyoming. 

As the racehorse owner says in the final turn, “Let him run!” Thank you for joining us in this exciting time of growth and opportunity to see just how fast we can run.

Jessie Dafoe is the executive director of Wyoming Agriculture in the Classroom.  Wyoming Agriculture in the Classroom is a 501(c)3 nonprofit. All donations are tax deductible. 

A donation envelope for Wyoming Agriculture in the Classroom is inserted in this edition of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. If you would like to support this effort, return this envelope, donate online at wyaitc.org or reach out for more information at 307-369-1749. 

All donors who support the current campaign will be recognized. Thank you for investing in your community classrooms.