Applications for grants to improve agricultural education are being accepted by the Minnesota Agricultural Education Leadership Council.

More than $186,000 in competitive grant funds is available from two programs — the Strategic Initiatives grant program and the second round of the Common Fund grant program.

All grant applications must be completed online at mn.gov/maelc/grants.html before midnight on Nov. 15. A second round of Strategic Initiatives grants will be due April 15, 2017.

AG ED IMPROVEMENT GRANTS: The Minnesota Agricultural Education Leadership Council is accepting applications for two types of agricultural education grants: Strategic Initiatives and Common Fund. (Photo: Kritchanut/iStock/Thinkstock)

Strategic Initiatives grants are designed to help promote agricultural, food and natural resource literacy initiatives across Minnesota in formal and non-formal educational settings in secondary, postsecondary, and farm business management programs.

Common Fund grants are designed to encourage collaboration with an emphasis on agricultural education. Innovative ideas are encouraged to support revitalization of existing agricultural education programs and to create new agricultural, food and environmental education programs at the primary, secondary, and postsecondary levels.

"MAELC's grant programs provide educators and organizations the opportunity to expand agricultural literacy and implement new, innovative projects in agricultural education,” says Sarah Dornink, MAELC executive director. Since its establishment, MAELC has provided more than $8 million in competitive grants, scholarships, sponsored projects and awards.

Grant applications can be obtained online at mn.gov/maelc/grants.html.

 Here is a list of previous winners of Strategic Initiatives grants:

• Breckenridge High School; $9,355, 21st-century agriculture department

• Children's Museum of Southern Minnesota; $9,300, Ag-EdVentures

• Eden Valley-Watkins High School; $10,390, ag program expansion

• Metropolitan State University; $6,499, urban youth green summer camp

• Farmamerica; $15,049, STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) programming in soil, beans and corn

• Sibley East High School; $6,594, curriculum update

• University of Minnesota College of Food Agricultural and Natural Resources Sciences; $5,866, hosting STEAM days at U-M

 Here are the first-round Common Fund grant winners:

• Minnesota Council on Economic Education; $17,739, “Teaching Food Insecurity and Food Safety Statewide through an Economic Lens Using Online Instruction”

• Minnesota Department of Education; $32,000, online agricultural science curriculum library

 MAELC was established in 1997 by the state Legislature to improve ag education across the state. The council is comprised of 17 educators, legislators, government officials, and agribusiness and community organization representatives.

Information provided by MAELC.