2025 Summer Ag Institute: Roads, Rivers & Rails

Sign up for this year’s Summer Ag Institute by May 15! Earn up to 21 hours of professional development with the option of one hour of graduate credit through the University of St. Francis. New option this year: choose to attend one, two, or all three days of our workshop. Scheduled tours include a local grain farm, Anvil Brand equestrian store in Lexington, a Lexington-Chenoa Route 66 Ag History Tour with local ag historian Don Meyer, Evergreen FS at Yuton, Midwest Food Bank, Peoria Lock and Dam, and the Illinois State University Vertical Farm. We’ll also have presentations by Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom, University of Illinois Extension STEAM in the Classroom and various commodity organizations.  Learn more here!

STEAM Workshop Series

Explore STEAM and learn more about incorporating it into your classroom. Earn professional credit hours and collaborate with professionals from University of Illinois Extension, Ag in the Classroom and other teaching professionals.

Weather and Climate | October 23, 2018

Learn more about incorporating STEAM
when studying weather and climate. Explore some of the kits and resources
available to support your lessons or activities.

Experiential Learning Model | November 27, 2018

Explore 4-H curriculum, workshops and long-term programs that are all based on the Experiential Learning Model. This model can be implemented to increased youth engagement when including STEAM in lessons or activities.

Soil and Plants | January 22, 2019 – CANCELLED

Soil, seed germination, plant growth, soil conservation — all of these topics and more will be covered in this workshop. Explore the kits and resources available to support plant and soil activities or lessons.

Plant and Animal Life Cycles | February 26, 2019

Compare, contrast and explore inter-dependency between plant and animal life cycles. This workshop will support lessons and activities done during Chick it Out in April.

Junk Drawer and Maker Space | March 19, 2019,

Engineering and creativity combine during this workshop. Learn more about how to engage youth to utilize critical thinking and problem-solving skills through challenges. Explore the resources available to support you.