High school and elementary school teachers should register now to reserve their activity stations at the Summer Agricultural Institute for Teachers June 21-22 at the Lakeview Resort and Conference Center near Morgantown.

Sponsored by the West Virginia Farm Bureau Foundation and West Virginia University Extension Service, the Ag Institute offers teachers innovative teaching materials and practical hands-on applications for their students to learn math, science, reading and social studies.

Some of the lesson plans meet the Content Standards and Objectives established by the West Virginia Board of Education.

Though they live in a rural state, most West Virginia students have no direct contact with farming. They have few opportunities to discover the importance agriculture plays in their livesfrom the food they eat to the clothes they wear to the scenery they enjoy. The institute helps teachers fill that gap while they introduce students to careers, technology, nutrition and West Virginia agriculture.

Teachers from all grade levels are invited to participate in the program. However, lesson plans are tailored for kindergarten through fifth-grade students.

Registration will be limited to four teachers per county. The registration fee is $50, which includes meals, lodging and materials. The application deadline is April 10.

A limited number of Farm Bureau scholarships are available.

The Summer Agricultural Institute for Teachers also offers three hours of graduate credit from WVU . The graduate credit fee is an additional $99. Information about graduate credit is available on the institutes application.

Applications are available at WVU Extension Service county offices and from Shelly Courtney of the West Virginia Farm Bureau, 800-398-4630, ext. 16 or shellyk@wvfarm.org