CHARLOTTETOWN, March 28, 2017 - The Canada Agriculture and Food Museum, Agriculture in the Classroom PEI, and the PEI Agriculture Awareness Committee are hosting the first ever Agriculture Adventure Days in Charlottetown, as part of Canadian Agriculture Literacy Month, today and tomorrow. The festivities are kicking off this morning with the Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.
This event brings together upwards of 1,000 grade 3 students from across the province to explore and learn about a variety of sectors of P.E.I. agriculture including potatoes, dairy, poultry, blueberries, organic farming, as well as farm safety and more. Students visit stations over a 2-hour period and learn directly from farmers and those in the industry.
The program includes the launch of the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum’s Bee Odyssey mobile game, the newest application from the Canada Science and Technology Museums Corporation. Bee Odyssey invites players to take on the role of a lost bee as she tries to find her missing hive while pollinating flowers, navigating nature’s obstacles, and evading predators and pesticides.
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Quotes
“Initiatives like Agriculture Adventure Days will help educate and inspire our youth to get involved in this dynamic industry and drive Canadian agriculture forward. Our government is focused on ensuring Canada's youth get the skills and knowledge they need to support the continued growth and success of Canada's agriculture and agri-food industries in the 21st century."
- The Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
“Bee Odyssey is a great resource for teachers and parents to use across the country, and internationally, to teach youth about the importance of bees in the agriculture and agri-food sector. The game features the plants, predators, and wildlife that the common honeybee would encounter in a northern climate. It also explores the key roles bees play in nature and how fragile and dangerous their lives can be."
- Kerry-Leigh Burchill, Director General, Canada Agriculture and Food Museum
“Agriculture in the Classroom PEI is pleased to offer this new event to grade 3 students from across the province to connect them to agriculture and speak directly to farmers. Events like this will continue to grow in importance to help young people understand the importance and value of agriculture to their lives and their communities."
- Rayanne Frizzell, National Canada Agriculture Literacy Month Coordinator
Contact
Zoë Lomer
Manager, Marketing and Communications
Canada Science and Technology Museums Corporation
zlomer@techno-science.ca
613-298-5616
Social Media
About the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum
Canada’s unique agricultural heritage and future are celebrated at the Museum. Explore the sights and sounds of farm life through the animal barns, exhibitions, treasures from the collection, hands-on activities, and food demonstrations. The Museum is located on the Central Experimental Farm, a 425-hectare crop research station and National Historic Site, just minutes from Parliament Hill by car and steps from the Rideau Canal, and the Ornamental Gardens and Dominion Arboretum. For more information, please visit cafmuseum.techno-science.ca.
About Bee Odyssey
Bee Odyssey is the fourth mobile game developed by the Canada Science and Technology Museums Corporation. The Corporation’s mobile games have been downloaded over 300,000 times in over 180 countries.
The game is available for free download in the iTunes store and on Google Play:
iTunes Store: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/bee-odyssey/id1120206404?mt=8
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.illuminationgames.beeodyssey
The Museum is pleased to provide teachers and educators with a chance to receive a limited edition, classroom-ready version of the mobile game to supplement their lessons. To sign up for the chance to receive the teacher version: http://cafmuseum.techno-science.ca/en/bee-odyssey-mobile-app.php
About Agriculture in the Classroom Canada
Agriculture in the Classroom Canada is a non-profit organization made up of provincial AITC organizations working together to enhance the knowledge, understanding and appreciation of agriculture. AITC-Canada achieves this goal through national initiatives, sharing of information and educational resources, development of educational programs aimed at enhancing agricultural classroom literacy, and coordination of professional development opportunities. Visit www.aitc-canada.ca or on Twitter @AITCCanada. The PEI Agriculture Awareness Committee is proud to be the Prince Edward Island ambassador for Agriculture in the Classroom.
About Canadian Agriculture Literacy Month
Canadian Agriculture Literacy Month is a hands-on program that encourages children to learn about and celebrate agriculture in various ways, including reading books about farming, watching videos and meeting with farmers and other agricultural representatives. An important element to the success of Canadian Agriculture Literacy Month is the connection between students and local farmers and/or agriculture industry representatives. In 2017, the theme for the month is “Our Food. Our Story.” This year, Agriculture in the Classroom-Canada organizations will deliver Canadian Agriculture Literacy Month programming to over 30,000 students in over 800 classrooms across Canada.