Colorado Agriculture in the Classroom (also known as Colorado Foundation for Agriculture) is a nonprofit educational organization dedicated to educating teachers and students about the importance of agriculture and natural resources in our daily lives. We are the lead agricultural literacy organization in Colorado, providing authentic, standard-aligned programs and resources for prekindergarten through 12th grade formal and informal instruction.

Colorado Agriculture in the Classroom (CoAITC) annually reaches 325,000 students, teachers, families, and individuals in urban, suburban, and rural communities across the state. Our scope includes printed and electronic resources, in-person and virtual student presentations, teacher professional development, public events, and multiple communications and outreach efforts. Through partnerships from community stakeholders and funding from corporations, foundations, associations, and individuals, all CoAITC programs and resources are provided for free or at minimal cost.

History

The Colorado Agriculture in the Classroom Program was started by the Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA) in the early 1980s. The CDA developed the Colorado Readers as a tool to provide educators with current, accurate information about Colorado agriculture. They published the Readers two times a year and distributed them to about 600 classrooms. The idea of using Readers as a tool to develop agricultural literacy was copied and adapted by several other states. Due to budgetary cutbacks in 1991, the CDA helped to establish the Colorado Foundation for Agriculture (CFA), a 501(c)3 non-profit education corporation, and took over the responsibility for Colorado's Agriculture in the Classroom program.