Iowa Corn Supports the Iowa Agriculture Literacy Foundation

Corn impacts Iowa in so many ways. It’s a big deal in our state — for the people growing it and the people consuming it. That’s why the Iowa Corn Promotion Board prioritizes educating growers, consumers and everyone in between about corn and corn products. 

One such program that Iowa Corn invests in is the Iowa Agriculture Literacy Foundation (IALF). Founded in 2013, IALF is dedicated to helping students in our state better understand the global significance of Iowa agriculture.  

By serving as a central resource for educators, IALF connects agriculture to Iowa’s core science and social studies standards, making real-world agriculture literacy and advocacy both relevant and engaging. 

IALF has three main goals: 

1. Build educator trust by being a credible source and leader of Iowa core content connections to agriculture in K-12. 

2. Maintain focus on operational excellence, including fundraising, stakeholder/industry relationships and staff development. 

3. Collaborate with and empower a diverse group of informal educators and community partners to support the positive message of agriculture literacy in Iowa. 

Read Across Iowa

Each March, IALF hosts Read Across Iowa, distributing thousands of agriculture-themed books and classroom resources across the state to boost ag literacy and advocacy. Read Across Iowa uses children’s books to connect literacy, science and real-world agriculture to Iowa students.  

This year’s theme is Pollinators to Product, highlighting the essential role pollinators play in agriculture and connecting their work to the food, fiber and everyday products students know and use. 

Agriculture in the Classroom

IALF also serves as the coordinator of Agriculture in the Classroom, a program that helps teachers embed ag education into core subjects already being taught in the classroom. The core curriculum of the program focuses on science, social studies, language arts and nutrition. 

Teacher Professional Development

Each summer, the Iowa Agriculture Literacy Foundation invests in teachers so they can confidently teach about modern agriculture in their classrooms.  

Through hands-on workshops, farm and industry experiences and Iowa core-aligned lesson planning, educators gain practical tools and accurate, science-based information about today’s farming practices.  

These workshops equip teachers with experiences and educational resources about agriculture in Iowa, expanding their reach and impact on thousands of Iowa students each year. 

Longstanding Support for Agriculture Literacy and Advocacy

The Iowa Corn Promotion Board has supported IALF for a number of years, recognizing the importance of agriculture education across the state.  

Iowa Corn serves on IALF’s board, and partners on initiatives such as classroom resource distribution, educator workshops and statewide programs like Read Across Iowa. By staying actively involved, Iowa Corn helps ensure that agriculture education is accurate, science-based and focused on the future of our corn industry. 

To learn more about the Iowa Ag Literacy Foundation, visit iowaagliteracy.org.