Teacher Ambassadors

Join our team of BCAITC Teacher Ambassadors that are working to help bring agriculture education to a community near you. Our ambassadors are teachers with a dedication and passion for agriculture education, who will work with their home communities, the BCAITC Education Specialist, and the BCAITC Executive Director to help deliver information about agriculture in BC, connect teachers with BCAITC resources and programs, and provide professional development opportunities for their regions of the province.

If your colleagues are always hearing you talk about using our awesome agricultural programs and resources- we want you!

Expectations of BCAITC Teacher Ambassadors:

• A two-year commitment
• Able to attend training virtually
• Every year, BCAITC Teacher Ambassadors are expected to share BC’s Food and Farming Story with teachers in their district or region and the province via:
  
  • 6 Social Media Posts (you can post or we can!)
  • 3 promotional events (articles, interviews, meetings, booths, presentations)
  • 2 Pro-D presentations (at the provincial or regional or district level)
  • 1 contribution to the teacher newsletter or a blog post on our website
  • 1 resource/lesson for publishing on our website

BCAITC Teacher Ambassadors will receive:

• An honorarium for travel and pro-d workshop/promotional events expenses each year
• A great addition to your resume!
• A spot in our waitlisted programs
• Support from BCAITC staff throughout the two-year commitment

Thank you for considering joining our BCAITC Teacher Ambassador Team! Click here to complete the application.

Meet our Teacher Ambassadors 

Amy Bawtinheimer Amy grew up on a working cattle ranch outside Williams Lake, BC, giving her a strong foundation in agriculture that she now brings to her role as a BCAITC Teacher Ambassador. She holds a BA and BEd from The University of the Fraser Valley, as well as a diploma in Home Economics from UBC. Now based in West Kelowna, Amy teaches home economics at Ecole Glenrosa Middle School. Passionate about hands-on learning, Amy loves connecting students to agriculture and hopes to spark a lifelong love of cooking and curiosity about BC food systems. She hopes to instill a lifelong love of cooking in her students and works to foster their curiosity in exploring the story of BC food. As former 4-H member of 11 years, she remains active as an alumni volunteer. Outside the classroom, Amy enjoys exploring the Okanagan with her husband, baking (but not doing the dishes), sewing, reading, and tackling large jigsaw puzzles.

Melissa Porter Melissa is nervous and excited to work with BCAITC as a teacher ambassador. Based in Williams Lake, she currently teaches Grades 1 and 2, and has experience teaching every grade from Kindergarten through Grade 10. A longtime advocate of BCAITC programs, Melissa has brought agriculture into her classroom in creative and meaningful ways over the years. Her favourite program is Spuds in Tubs, which she loves for the hands-on learning it provides. From planting and harvesting to watching the growth over spring break, she finds joy in seeing her student’s excitement and curiosity bloom. Melissa is excited to share her enthusiasm with other teachers who want to start promoting agriculture in their classrooms!