‘An Exploration of Genomics in Agriculture and Food’, A Teacher’s Guide for Grades 7-12, is a new free resource for Ontario Teachers, made possible through a partnership between, Ontario Genomics, AgScape, the Agricultural Adaptation Council, and Genome Canada.
(Ontario) February 16, 2022 – Ontario Genomics, in partnership with AgScape, the Agricultural Adaptation Council and Genome Canada, announce the launch of a new Genomics in Agriculture and Food-themed Teacher’s Guide. We are excited to bring the fast-paced and innovative world of food and agriculture into Ontario classrooms through ‘An Exploration of Genomics in Agriculture and Food’, a Teacher’s Guide for grades 7-12.
“We are fortunate to forge this unique and powerful partnership with AgScape and the Agricultural Adaptation Council to bring impactful, real-world scientific advancements into classrooms across Ontario,” said Bettina Hamelin, President and CEO of Ontario Genomics. “It is exciting to be creating resources together to help the next generation learn about how genomics and biology can improve animal welfare, promote food security and mitigate climate change.”
The team at Ontario Genomics supported AgScape in its mission to translate the complex topic of genomics into lessons that resonate with both students and teachers. This new Teacher\’s Guide brings genomics into the classroom with a wide variety of lessons and engaging in-class activities, developed by Ontario certified teachers & food literacy experts at AgScape.
“Through our partnership with AgScape and Ontario Genomics, we are excited to be providing students with resources that highlight real-world examples and factual information related to the incredible genomics research taking place in the agri-food sector,” said Melanie DiReto, Executive Director of the Agricultural Adaptation Council. “We hope to educate and inspire students on the importance of genomics research to the agri-food sector and the variety of related career paths they can explore.”
In celebration of Canadian Agricultural Literacy Month educators can request their free copy of this Teacher’s Guide, along with an entire digital package of resources to help build knowledge and awareness of food and agriculture with students at CALM.AgScape.ca.
Taylor Selig, AgScape\’s Executive Director said: “The release of this Teacher\’s Guide and lesson plans marks an exciting expansion of the scope of resources we\’re creating for Ontario teachers. That expansion is made possible through collaborating with Ontario Genomics, Genome Canada, and the Agricultural Adaptation Council to produce a resource that combines a deep dive into an innovative science topic with learning the practical application of that science on Ontario\’s Food & Agriculture sector.”
Ontario Genomics understands that provincial educators are in search of factual, curriculum-linked classroom resources about food literacy and agriculture. Students have never been more curious about understanding the science behind modern food production. Genomics, a field of science that encompasses all of a living thing’s genes and the interaction between those genes and the environment, is a topic at the very heart of modern food & agriculture innovation.
In partnership with Farm and Food Care Ontario, the Agricultural Adaptation Council, and Genome Canada, Ontario Genomics produced five educational videos highlighting cutting-edge technology and research across Ontario’s agriculture and agri-food sectors. This series features a 360-degree, virtual reality tour of the University of Guelph’s Ontario Dairy Research Centre in Elora showcasing a state-of-the-art facility dedicated to supporting Ontario’s dairy industry and providing customer benefit.
Dr. Christine Baes, a dairy cow researcher at the University of Guelph who participated in the project said, “Genomics, which is the study of DNA, plays a key role in scientific discovery and technology innovation. As we’ve seen throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, it can also help address some of our most pressing challenges. In this video series, we explore how genomics is being used to ensure Ontario and Canada have a secure food system for generations to come, while protecting our environment and constantly improving animal welfare.”
The additional four videos feature interviews with researchers from the University of Guelph and Trent University and industry partners on topics including:
These resources were created with funding from the Agricultural Adaptation Council and Ontario Genomics, through Genome Canada, as part of the Ontario Regional Priorities Partnership Program (ON-RP3). Learn more about eight Ontario-focused, industry-academic partnership projects that are positively impacting Ontario’s agriculture and agri-food sectors.
About Ontario Genomics
Established in 2000, Ontario Genomics is a not-for-profit organization leading the application of genomics-based solutions to drive economic growth, improved quality of life, and global leadership for Ontario. As part of its strategic vision, Ontario Genomics is dedicated to supporting the development of educational resources that demonstrate how genomics plays a vital role to address key challenges in our society. Ontario Genomics also plays a role in advancing genomics projects and programs across the province by supporting the development of proposals, helping researchers access diverse funding sources, and finding the right industry partners to take this research out of the lab to apply it to the world’s most pressing challenges. Since its inception, Ontario Genomics has raised more than $1.27 billion for genomics applied research in Ontario and directly supported more than 9,100 trainees and jobs. OG supports 110+ active projects, 500+ impactful partnerships and has secured $1.34 billion in follow-on investments.
For more information about OG, visit www.OntarioGenomics.ca
About AgScape
AgScape brings the fast-paced and innovative world of agriculture and food to educators and students across Ontario. Our programs expand students’ understanding of the modern food system to help them make informed decisions about the foods they eat, the choices they make, and the breadth of career opportunities that are available to them.
AgScape has been a trusted partner and bridge between the Food & Agriculture industry and Ontario’s education system for more than 30 years. We continue to evolve and expand our programs to ignite and nurture the curiosity of students, educators, and communities across Ontario.
For more information about AgScape, visit www.AgScape.ca
About the Agricultural Adaptation Council (AAC)
The Agricultural Adaptation Council (AAC) are Ontario’s agriculture and food program delivery experts. As a not-for-profit organization, AAC represents Ontario’s agriculture and food industry with almost 60 agriculture, food, and rural organizations comprising our membership and board of directors. This unique industry collaboration gives the AAC an in-depth understanding of needs from across the entire value chain and the ability to help facilitate effective program design, development, and delivery between industry, government, and other partners to achieve optimal outcomes from agriculture and food programs
To learn more about AAC, please visit www.AdaptCouncil.org
About Genome Canada
Genome Canada is a not-for-profit organization, funded by the Government of Canada. We act as a catalyst for developing and applying genomics and genomic-based technologies to create economic and social benefits for Canadians. We connect ideas and people across public and private sectors to find new uses for genomics; invest in large-scale science and technology to fuel innovation; and translate discoveries into solutions across key sectors of national importance, including health, agriculture and agri-food, forestry, fisheries and aquaculture, the environment, energy and mining.
To learn more about Genome Canada, please visit www.GenomeCanada.ca
