ONTARIO GRAIN FARMER 38 PARTNERING WITH SCHOOL BOARDS TO BRING GRAIN FARMING INTO CLASSROOMS The 2025-26 school year marked an important milestone for Good in Every Grain, creating the first opportunity to deliver Ontario Farming STEMterprise professional-development sessions in partnership with school boards. While Good in Every Grain often connects with teachers through events and fairs, those conversations are typically brief introductions. Professional development provides a deeper opportunity to engage educators. Spending several hours with teachers allows time to share information about Ontario grain farming, food, and agriculture, while helping them explore practical ways to bring that learning into their classrooms. This year, Good in Every Grain partnered with the Halton District School Board and the Ottawa Catholic School Board to deliver STEMterprise professional development for Grade 3 teachers. Two sessions were held with the Halton board, reaching approximately 80 English and French immersion teachers. The Ottawa board also hosted a full-day session for approximately 25 Grade 3 teachers. During the sessions, teachers explored Ontario Farming STEMterprise, a curriculumconnected resource that supports STEM, financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and food literacy. Educators participated in www.GoodinEveryGrain.ca GOOD IN EVERY GRAIN hands-on activities, including the "Analyzing the Competition" granola bar exercise, which connects Ontario grains to everyday foods while promoting data collection, oral communication, product comparison, and critical thinking. The Ottawa session also featured classroom examples from educators already using STEMterprise, a Meet the Farmer presentation with local farmer Jennifer Doleman, and hands-on soil activities led by the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum. These experiences helped teachers build confidence in connecting classroom growing projects, soil health, food production, and Ontario grain farming. Feedback from participants has been overwhelmingly positive. Many teachers said the sessions helped them feel more confident using STEMterprise in their classrooms. Educators also appreciated that the resource is available in English and French, works well in combined-grade classrooms, and can be adapted to different teaching schedules and student needs. The momentum continues to build. Additional sessions with the Halton board are scheduled for fall 2026, and Good in Every Grain has been invited to showcase its new Grade 5 STEMterprise project at an Ottawa Catholic School Board professional-learning event this September. Approximately 200 teachers are expected to participate in hands-on outdoor and inquiry-based learning activities. Through these partnerships, Good in Every Grain is helping teachers build the knowledge, confidence, and practical skills they can share with students for years to come. To learn more about STEMterprise, visit Good in Every Grain's website: goodineverygrain. ca/ontario-farming-stemterprise/ Lindsay Elgersma is a teacher in Wellington County and is the education consultant for Good in Every Grain.•
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