An Immersive Agricultural Science Experience for Teachers: From the Mountains to the Sea

Explore North Carolina agriculture. Experience science in action. Bring it back to your classroom.

Farm to Classroom is an immersive professional development program from NC State University Extension that helps teachers use agriculture as a real-world context for teaching biology. Selected biology teachers will travel across North Carolina, learn alongside university researchers and agricultural professionals, participate in hands-on investigations, and leave with practical lessons, materials, connections, and ongoing support to bring agricultural science to life for their students.

Why Agriculture?

Agriculture is biology in action. Genetics, ecosystems, plant physiology, soil microbiology, climate change, biotechnology, water quality, evolution, and data science are not just concepts found in a textbook, they are questions being explored every day on North Carolina farms, in research laboratories, and throughout the agricultural industry.

Farm to Classroom helps teachers connect the science they already teach to authentic problems, technologies, and careers in agriculture. You do not need an agricultural background to participate. The program is designed to give educators the experiences, confidence, and resources they need to make those connections for their students.

The Experience

Travel North Carolina From the Mountains to the Sea. The centerpiece of Farm to Classroom is the Agricultural Literacy Backroads Tour, an immersive summer professional development experience that takes teachers beyond the classroom and into the places where agricultural science happens. Along the way, participants may visit:

• Farms, orchards, nurseries, and greenhouses
• NC State research stations and laboratories
• The NC State Plant Sciences Initiative
• Agricultural businesses and technology companies
• Community gardens and local food systems
• Crop production and processing facilities

From coastal agriculture and precision farming to plant genetics, soil health, biotechnology, pollinators, climate resilience, and specialty crops, teachers will see firsthand how science is being used to address real agricultural challenges.

Coastal Plains + Blacklands

Explore the science behind crops such as sweetpotatoes, cotton, peanuts, and potatoes while investigating topics including soil and nutrient management, plant breeding, precision agriculture, local food systems, and the effects of a changing climate on coastal agriculture.

Piedmont

Visit NC State research facilities, agricultural businesses, farms, greenhouses, and urban agriculture projects. Explore agricultural technology, sustainable production, crop systems, and the growing role of innovation and entrepreneurship in agriculture.

Mountains

Experience mountain agriculture through orchards, specialty crop farms, research facilities, vineyards, nurseries, and other agricultural enterprises. Topics may include soil conservation, pollinators, plant genomics, biotechnology, sustainable production, and climate resilience.

Learn It. Try It. Teach It.

Farm to Classroom is not a sit-and-listen professional development program. Teachers will participate in hands-on investigations throughout the experience and explore ways to connect those activities directly to science standards and classroom learning. Activities may explore questions such as:

• How do plants respond to saltwater intrusion? Use crop stress to investigate ecosystems, environmental change, and plant biology.
• How does genetics shape the food we grow? Explore plant breeding, genetic variation, biotechnology, and modern crop improvement.
• What is happening beneath our feet? Investigate soil organisms, soil health, nutrient cycling, and plant-microbe relationships.
• How can technology help farmers make decisions? Explore sensors, precision agriculture, data science, and emerging agricultural technologies.
• How do plants, insects, and microorganisms interact? Connect pollination, biological control, pest management, evolution, and ecosystem relationships.

The goal is not to add another unit to an already crowded curriculum. Instead, we will help you identify places where agriculture can make the science you already teach more relevant, engaging, and connected to the real world.

What You’ll Take Back to Your Classroom

The summer experience is only the beginning. Farm to Classroom participants will receive resources and continued support to turn what they learn into classroom experiences for their students.

Classroom-Ready Resources

Teachers will have access to a growing collection of lessons, laboratory activities, investigations, and teaching resources connecting agricultural science with biology and other science standards. Supplies used in selected hands-on activities will also be provided to help teachers implement activities with their own students.

Grow Boxes

Throughout the program, teachers will receive Grow Boxes connected to virtual professional development experiences. Each box will contain materials needed to investigate an agricultural science topic with students. A soil health Grow Box, for example, might include tools and resources for exploring soil organisms, decomposition, plant health, and biological activity.

Your Own Classroom Project

Every participating teacher will put learning into action by implementing an agricultural activity or project with students. That might include:

• A classroom laboratory investigation
• A student research project
• A school garden
• A field experience
• An agricultural technology investigation
• A unit connecting agriculture with biology or environmental science
• Another project designed around the needs of your students and school

A Community of Teachers, Scientists, and Agricultural Professionals

One of the most important parts of Farm to Classroom is the network you build. Each participating teacher will be connected with a mentor who can help identify resources, answer questions, make connections with subject-matter experts, and support the transition from the summer experience to classroom implementation.

Participants will also join regular virtual Learning Community Conversations with other teachers and the Farm to Classroom team. These informal conversations provide a place to exchange ideas, troubleshoot challenges, share classroom successes, and continue learning together.

Share What You Grow

Following classroom implementation, participants will have an opportunity to come together at NC State for an Agricultural Literacy Showcase. Teachers will share how they adapted agricultural science for their students, highlight projects and lessons that worked well, and learn from other educators participating in the program. The showcase is designed to celebrate what teachers and students have accomplished while building a collection of ideas that can inspire classrooms across North Carolina and beyond.

Who Should Apply?

Farm to Classroom is designed primarily for high school science educators, with particular emphasis on biology teachers. Educators teaching environmental science and other courses with strong connections to plant, environmental, or agricultural sciences may also be a good fit. You do not need previous agricultural experience.

We are especially interested in educators who:

• Want to make science more relevant through real-world examples
• Are curious about agriculture, food systems, plant science, or agricultural technology
• Enjoy hands-on and experiential learning
• Want to introduce students to new STEM and agricultural career pathways
• Are willing to implement at least one agricultural learning experience with their students
• Want to collaborate with educators from across the state
• Can participate in the summer experience and continued learning community

The program seeks a diverse group of educators representing rural, suburban, and urban schools and a range of teaching experiences. Priority consideration may be given to educators serving schools and communities with fewer resources or limited access to agricultural and STEM learning opportunities.

Time Commitment

Farm to Classroom is designed as an ongoing professional learning experience rather than a single workshop. Participants should be prepared to:

• Participate in the immersive summer experience Travel, learn, investigate, and collaborate with other educators during the Agricultural Literacy Backroads Tour. The dates for the summer 2027-2028 cohort are June 22-24 (Central and Eastern, NC and August 3-5th, 2027 (Foothills and Western NC).
• Join the learning community Participate in virtual conversations and professional development opportunities throughout the school year.
• Work with a mentor Connect with a member of the Farm to Classroom team for individualized support.
• Bring agriculture into your classroom Implement an agricultural lesson, investigation, project, or experience with your students.
• Share your experience Reflect on what you learn and contribute ideas and outcomes to the Farm to Classroom community.

Farm to Classroom is designed to reduce barriers to participation and provide teachers with the resources needed to put their learning into practice. Program support is expected to include:

• Immersive professional development experiences
• Travel-related program support
• Hands-on classroom materials
• Grow Boxes and instructional resources
• Access to NC State faculty and agricultural experts
• Individual mentoring
• Ongoing professional learning opportunities
• Professional development credit
• A statewide network of fellow educators
• Continued access to resources through the Farm to Classroom alumni network

Additional information about participant stipends, travel arrangements, lodging, professional development credit, and other program support will be provided with each application cycle.

Ready to Take Science Beyond the Classroom? Apply Now!

Come explore the farms, laboratories, research stations, businesses, people, and ideas shaping the future of agriculture and then bring those experiences home to your students.