Summer Ag Institute

What does the word “agriculture” make you think of? If you imagine fields, cattle, and crops, your images are accurate, but incomplete. The 2026 Summer Ag Institute (SAI) will open your eyes to how today’s ag technology helps ensure tomorrow’s food security. In turn, you will open your students’ eyes to career opportunities in the industry that sustains us. Via farm and business tours, expert speakers, and ag literacy resources, teachers will gain tools to broaden student knowledge of local farming, the larger ag industry, and how both impact our lives. Our 2026 SAI is open to K-12 teachers.

When: June 15-18, 2026, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Where: DeKalb County Farm Bureau and area tour sites

Registration & Scholarship Application: Complete the form found at https://bit.ly/SAI2026Reg. Please follow the payment link after submitting your registration. This form includes the scholarship application if you wish to apply.

Credit & Cost:
Teachers may earn 30 PDCs or 2 hours of graduate credit.
The registration fee is $100 for all participants.
Those wishing to earn graduate credit must also enroll and pay tuition.

Our SAI is one of many taking place across Illinois; check them out here.

SAI participants:

  • Tour local farms and interact with the farmers who raise our food.
  • Visit agribusinesses and investigate career opportunities in agriculture.
  • Examine issues of food production (food safety, environmental protection, etc.) and discuss age-appropriate ways to explore them with students.
  • Develop lessons to incorporate food & farm-related content while addressing learning standards.

An SAI Sneak Peek…

Sponsored by Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom, the DeKalb Regional Office of Education, and DeKalb County Farm Bureau