For Immediate Release: Thursday, August 27, 2015
Montgomery County Council President George Leventhal will join County Board of Education President Pat O’Neill in leading the ribbon cutting at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 29, when the new Maryland Agricultural Education Foundation (MAEF) mobile lab is introduced during the annual Montgomery County Public Schools Back to School Fair. The interactive lab will help teach MCPS students about the County’s agricultural heritage and has displays and exercises to enhance those learning experiences.
The free Back to School Fair will be held from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. on the grounds of the Carver Educational Services Center at 850 Hungerford Drive in Rockville. The fair will have information for students and parents about MCPS services and programs. More than 80 community partners and government agencies will be represented at the fair, which also will have music and entertainment. More details about the fair are available at: http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/community-engagement/fair/
The Maryland Agricultural Education Foundation, Inc. is a non-profit, non-governmental organization established in 1989 as recommended by a Governor's Task Force. The foundation's mission is to promote the understanding and appreciation of the importance of agriculture in the daily lives of residents. The mobile lab was designed as an initiative of the Montgomery County Farm Bureau and Countryside Alliance.
The lab features a "sound book" designed to introduce students to County agriculture, displays that will depict some of the lab exercises that will be conducted by students and will be staffed by MAEF personnel who can answer questions about agriculture and science. Among the exercises that students will be able to easily relate is how lip balm can be made from soybeans and bees wax.
“I’m so proud that decades ago, we made a commitment to maintain nearly one third of the land in our County to open space and agricultural uses,” said Council President Leventhal. “That is why out of the more than 3,000 counties in the United States, the Natural Resources Defense Council recognized Montgomery County as having the most successful farmland protection program in the country. The MAEF mobile lab is a great way to help students, particularly those who do not live in or near the Agricultural Reserve, learn more about this treasured part of our County.”
The mobile lab addresses themes such as water quality, wetlands, well contamination, foods, healthy snacks, environmentally friendly products and sustainable agriculture. The lessons follow the Maryland State Curriculum.
“We are constantly seeking every available method to teach students about the world around them—including the world that is just up the road from where they live,” said Ms. O’Neill. “The MAEF mobile lab is going to be a wonderful partner in helping toward an important aspect of this mission.”
Arrangements can be made for the lab to visit schools around the County. To arrange for the lab to visit a school, contact Diana Tyler at 410-939-9030 or at dtyler@maefonline.com .
More information about the MAEF mobile lab is available at: http://www.maefonline.com/programs_mobile_science_maryland_agricultural_education.html
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Release ID: 15-264
Media Contact: Neil Greenberger 240-777-7939, Delphine Harriston 240-777-7931