Winnipeg, MB

Some weeks (who am I kidding…MOST weeks), the work is about programs, resources, calendars, and event logistics. Other weeks, it’s about stepping back and asking whether we’re building the right things, in the right way, for the long-term. 

This is where we find ourselves at Agriculture in the Classroom-Manitoba right now. 

As an organization, we’ve grown. We’re in more classrooms. We’re part of more conversations about the food system, the future of farming, most needed careers in the industry, and how to ensure there is trust in agriculture across Manitoba. And this growth requires a different kind of responsibility. It’s not just about doing more, but about how we do this work well and in a way that has lasting impact. 

This is where our Board of Directors comes in. 

I don’t lean on our Board to run the day-to-day operations. That’s my job, and our team’s job. I lean on our Board to help hold the bigger picture. To ask the questions that think strategically, creatively and with purpose. I need our Board to challenge us, in a good way, when something feels comfortable but maybe not quite ambitious enough. 

Right now, we’re heading into a year of strategic planning, and it feels like one of those moments where the next decisions about where we are headed really matter. We’re thinking less about individual projects and more about the experience a student has over time and how we can make it foundational in their learning environment. We are thinking bigger about partnerships and how to truly become an essential piece of the success of the agriculture industry in Manitoba. And mostly, we are thinking about how to measure impact over time so that more youth can picture themselves in our sector someday and their educators see agriculture education as essential, less complicated and valuable in their lesson planning. 

That’s the lens our Board brings to the table. 

This year, we’re opening two seats on our Board of Directors. We’re hoping to welcome people who care about education and agriculture, and who are curious about helping set the direction of creating real change and who also love lively debate, championing a cause they care about and having fun with some of the best people around. 

If this sounds like something you’d want to be part of, or if someone comes to mind as you’re reading this, please fill out the Nomination Expression of Interest form HERE, after which you will be contacted by a current Board member with more information. 

I love the point we are at AITC-M’s 37-yr old story and look forward to the new voices around the table that will help shape what the next chapter looks like. 

Your partner in agricultural education, 

Katharine Cherewyk 
Executive Director 
Agriculture in the Classroom – Manitoba