The Educator Champion Award recognizes educators who demonstrate exceptional leadership in agriculture education by creating meaningful learning experiences that help students better understand food, farming, and the many opportunities within Manitoba's agriculture industry.

For Kirby, agriculture education goes beyond the classroom. Through hands-on learning opportunities, school gardening projects, and agriculture-focused activities, she helps students build meaningful connections to where their food comes from and the role agriculture plays in their everyday lives.

At Wawanesa School, Kirby has helped bring agriculture learning to life through a greenhouse and garden project she championed to give students hands-on experiences with growing food. Through planting, caring for crops, and harvesting produce, students gain a deeper understanding of food production while developing responsibility, curiosity, and practical skills that extend beyond the classroom.

"Students get really excited when things actually grow," says Adams. "They enjoy the hands-on aspect of working in the garden and greenhouse and learning about the different career opportunities that are out there."

School staff and students describe Kirby as a passionate educator who believes in learning by doing. Her commitment to hands-on agriculture education has helped students engage with agriculture in meaningful ways while building valuable connections to their local community.

The Educator Champion Award celebrates teachers who inspire the next generation through agriculture education, helping students become informed consumers, future leaders, and lifelong learners.

Watch Kirby's Story

Learn more about Kirby's passion for agriculture education and the impact she is making at Wawanesa School by watching her Educator Champion video.

Watch the Video

Bringing Agriculture to Life in Manitoba Classrooms

AITC-M supports educators across Manitoba through programs, classroom resources, virtual learning opportunities, and agriculture-focused educational experiences that help students make meaningful connections to food, farming, and the environment.

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About Agriculture in the Classroom – Manitoba

Agriculture in the Classroom - Manitoba (AITC-M) connects students and educators to where their food comes from, through curriculum-aligned resources, hands-on programming, and industry partnerships, to bring real-world agriculture into classrooms across the province.