Enrollment for the 2021-2022 school year is open for the Pennsylvania Center for Dairy Excellence’s Adopt a Cow program for which American Dairy Association North East is a long-time partner and sponsor. Dairy farmers are encouraged to share the information with local schools to sign up by September 15, at the Discover Dairy website under “Adopt a Cow.”
“Partnering with the Center for Dairy Excellence on in-school education programs helps to build consumer trust in the dairy industry, and sponsoring the program is a priority for our board of directors,” said ADA North East CEO Rick Naczi. “Reaching young people with a program like Adopt a Cow will develop lifelong dairy enthusiasts and milk drinkers.”
The program impacted more than 1.6 million students worldwide last year, including more than 7,000 from ADA North East’s six-state region. Free to teachers and students, the year-long, interactive learning opportunity enables each classroom that enrolls to be paired with a calf from a farm. Teachers and students receive photos, video updates and activity sheets throughout the school year as they watch their calf grow.
Through immersive, hands-on learning activities and free curriculum provided by Discover Dairy, the Center for Dairy Excellence’s educational series that ADA North East and other dairy checkoff state and regional groups support, the students gain a deeper understanding of the dairy industry and where their food comes from.
Several of the lessons in the curriculum follow Common CORE standards in math, reading and science.
After registering, teachers will receive an introductory update in the fall with details about their calf. Classrooms will receive bi-monthly updates, including suggestions on components of Discover Dairy curriculum that teachers can incorporate into virtual or in-person lesson plans.
For more information, contact the Center for Dairy Excellence at 717.346.0849.