DuPont Pioneer Commits $300,000 to Food and Agricultural Education Grants

DuPont Pioneer and the National Association of Agricultural Educators (NAAE) announced today that for the third year in a row, Pioneer will award $300,000 through grants totaling up to $5,000 to fund training and classroom resources that will help implement advanced agriculture curriculums.

Grant recipients are public and private schools and universities whose teachers are implementing Curriculum for Agricultural Science Education (CASE) in their classrooms. CASE is a multi-year approach to agriscience education with rigorous educator training requirements and hands-on, inquiry focused learning activities. Teachers will use the grants to attend training, purchase equipment and materials, and conduct end-of-course assessments.

“We expect agriculture teachers to be ‘jacks-of-all-trades’ as they must teach a variety of agricultural and natural resources related subjects while enhancing core-academic disciplines, such as science and mathematics,” said Dan Jansen, CASE project director. “However, our agriculture teachers have minimal resources to equip themselves and their classrooms to provide rigorous instruction. Funding provided by DuPont Pioneer is essential for teachers to gain cutting-edge professional development experiences with CASE to enhance their teaching practices and implement STEM-based agriculture courses. The long-term impact of this support will benefit hundreds, if not thousands, of high school agriculture students.”

“Ensuring there is enough safe, affordable and nutritious food for all will require that more students understand agriculture and become future leaders in food production,” said Robin Habeger, Academic Outreach manager for DuPont Pioneer. “We know that we cannot do this alone and are working with others in agriculture and education to give teachers the best resources to encourage children to understand agriculture and consider careers in the industry.”

The DuPont Pioneer Global Giving Program is intended to improve food security by advancing agriculture through science, education and innovation and to enhance the quality of life for farmers and their communities globally. Addressing the unique challenges of our local communities promotes economic growth, improved health and overall quality of life – all factors important to a healthy and strong business climate.

CASE is an instructional system that is changing the culture of agriculture programs by equipping teachers to elevate student experiences in the agriculture classroom, and preparing students for success in college and careers emphasizing science, technology, engineering and math. To learn more about CASE, visit www.case4learning.org.

The National Association of Agricultural Educators manages the CASE curriculum. NAAE is the professional organization in the United States for agricultural educators. It provides its nearly 8,000 members with professional networking and development opportunities, professional liability coverage and extensive awards and recognition programs. The mission of NAAE is “professionals providing agricultural education for the global community through visionary leadership, advocacy and service.” The NAAE headquarters are in Lexington, Ky.

DuPont (NYSE: DD) has been bringing world-class science and engineering to the global marketplace in the form of innovative products, materials, and services since 1802. The company believes that by collaborating with customers, governments, NGOs, and thought leaders, we can help find solutions to such global challenges as providing enough healthy food for people everywhere, decreasing dependence on fossil fuels, and protecting life and the environment. For additional information about DuPont and its commitment to inclusive innovation, please visit www.dupont.com.