Farmers Union released STEM:IT AG. A STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) focused on agriculture, food and natural resources for kindergarten through 12th grade students.

The curriculum is a joint effort between five Farmers Union state organizations
(Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin), which comprise
Farmers Union Enterprises, based in Redwood Falls, Minn. Farmers Union Enterprises
partnered with the design group, STEM Fuse to produce and distribute the curriculum.

Doug Sombke, president of Farmers Union Enterprises and South Dakota Farmers Union. Says “Talk about making science relevant – all students eat.  We are excited to
share this curriculum which integrates STEM-based information into interactive units
about agriculture and where food comes from with educators and students throughout
the nation.”

Carter Tatge, founder and CEO of STEM Fuse, says,  “Collaborating with the Farmers Union Enterprises team, we designed the curriculum to easily integrate ag-based STEM education in any unit teachers are focusing on.  You don’t need a STEM
background or an agriculture background to provide STEM:IT AG to students. In fact,
the curriculum requires little guidance from educators.”

Miranda Letherman, North Dakota Farmers Union youth education specialist, said the
curriculum also exposes students to potential careers, everything from computer
coding and three-dimensional (3D) printing to developing agricultural commodities.
In one STEM:IT AG challenge, students create a tool that could be used to harvest a
crop, while another challenge asks them to design a solar oven from a shoebox,
tinfoil and black paper to heat up food using the sun’s energy.

To learn more, contact Letherman at 952-0166 or mletherman@ndfu.org. To order

STEM:IT AG, visit www.stemfuse.com or call STEM Fuse’s National Sales Director
Stephanie Spaan at 605-521-9213.