(Letterhead Here)

May 1, 2019

Professional Development for Agricultural Literacy

USDA-NIFA-AFRI
Review Team

To Whom It May Concern:

This letter of commitment is in support of the “Elevate Ag Education: Increasing Agriculture Teacher
Global Competencies and Commitment through Targeted Professional Development” proposal for the
Professional Development for Agricultural Literacy grant program. Increasing global competence in
agriculture and natural resources among agricultural educators and producers is important for the future of
agriculture because it will enable them be better fit to maximize their ability to prosper by feeding and
clothing the world and to promote their products and exports. In order for the next generation of producers to
develop global competence and continue to push agriculture forward, agricultural educators need to be better
educated about agriculture abroad and better trained in discussing the associated complex global issues (e.g.,
safe and secure food supply, sustainable stewardship, etc.). However, many agriculture teachers lack the
knowledge and experience to be able to teach students about agricultural opportunities and challenges in a
global economy and most have not taken classes nor have experience in agriculture internationally. As a
result, they are not fully able to prepare or motivate students towards careers that require knowledge and
skills in international agriculture. Teachers need to be equipped with the training, experiences, connections,
and perspectives necessary to help students prepare for careers involving agriculture on a global scale.

By engaging secondary agriculture educators in targeted professional development internationally, the

Elevate Ag Education program will help agriculture teachers 1) gain knowledge and experience in
agriculture on a global scale, 2) develop connections with schools and agricultural partners in other countries,
3) increase the capacity to provide students with experiential learning and international experiences, and 4)
improve overall teacher quality and retention through invigorating professional development experiences.
With an emphasis on engaging teachers in a sustained professional development experience and mentorship
with agriculture industry personnel and teachers of agriculture in Ecuador and Denmark, this program has the
potential to positively influence the next generation of agriculturists who will likely need to understand and
engage with agriculture globally in order to feed and clothe the world. Therefore, we support this proposed
project and its objectives.

We are committed to supporting the activities of this project by serving as hosts of the international
travelers and providing access to educational tours and opportunities for them. We believe this
proposed project is extremely valuable and we will do our part to create and execute tailored experiences that
meet the needs of the agricultural educators towards accomplishing the objectives of this project.

Sincerely,

NAME
Title
Instituto Tecnológico Superior Alfonso Herrera