HERSHEY – An Erie County teacher was selected as the 2024 Teacher of the Year on Nov. 19th during the Pennsylvania Friends of Agriculture Foundation Breakfast during this year’s Pennsylvania Farm Bureau Annual Meeting in Hershey.
Kelley Damore, a fourth and fifth grade teacher from St. James School in Erie County, was selected as this year’s winner.
Kelley Damore’s exemplary commitment to integrating agricultural education into her classroom earned her this recognition. Damore has creatively incorporated agricultural concepts into core subjects, sparking a love of learning and an appreciation for the role of farming in everyday life among her young learners.
She says it is the “ah-ha moments” when students discover that a misconception about agriculture is false, such as chocolate milk does not come from brown cows, which is making a difference in continuing to foster the curiosity to learn more.
“Kids really enjoy working with food products and wen they see how they are grown and produced and know more about agriculture to carry forward into their own lives,” she said.
Damore’s hands-on approach has included interactive lessons and partnerships with local farmers to bring real-world agricultural experiences to her students. As a farmer’s daughter she has also taken her students to her family’s farm to learn more about how food starts at the farm.
“The kids in our communities here in Pennsylvania need ag education like never before. I want to thank Ms. Damore for her dedication to bringing ag into her classroom each year,” said Tommy Nagle, Chairman of the PFB Promotion and Education Committee.
The 29th annual Ag Institute Teacher of the Year Award is sponsored by the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau Promotion & Education Committee. The purpose of this award is to recognize teachers who are doing an excellent job of teaching their class about agriculture and integrating agricultural concepts into the existing curriculum.
She will receive a $500 cash prize and a $1,000 travel scholarship to attend the 2025 National Ag in the Classroom Conference in Minneapolis.
The Pennsylvania Friends of Agriculture Foundation is committed to promoting agricultural literacy and supporting educators who are making a difference in the lives of their students. Damore’s efforts serve as a shining example of the impact that innovative, agriculture-based education can have in connecting young minds to the vital world of farming.
The Pennsylvania Friends of Agriculture Foundation, a charitable organization of the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, is committed to educating the public about the importance of agriculture. Through various educational initiatives like the Mobile Ag Lab, Ag Literacy Week, and the Educator’s Ag Institute, the Foundation works to enhance agricultural understanding across the state. To learn more, visit pfbfriends.org.