Northern Illinois University STEAM recently was awarded a USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture grant to help teachers prepare students for food systems careers.

The $500,000 grant will be awarded for three years to support the professional development of up to 20 educators annually.

Grant applications are available and due May 1. The program is limited to 20 sixth through 12th-grade teachers regardless of content area.

A waiting list will be maintained after reaching the enrollment limit. To apply, visit go.niu.edu/ExCITED.

Participants will learn about sustainable agriculture, specialty crops, scientific communication, nutrition and food systems-related topics from NIU researchers and industry partners.

The Edible Campus Immersion Teacher Experience and Development program features one-day workshops set for spring and fall of 2026 and a four-day residential learning immersion in the summer at the university’s DeKalb campus. Attendees will receive a $2,250 stipend and travel, room and board compensation. Educators will create hands-on, project-based sixth through 12th-grade lesson plans. The lessons can be used in teachers’ classrooms and shared in online, open-sourced formats for educators and students nationally. The program was developed by NIU STEAM in partnership with NIU’s Edible Campus Garden Program.

“We’re excited to partner with NIU’s Edible Campus on this project,” NIU STEAM director Kristin Brynteson said in a news release. “NIU STEAM is made up of experienced K-12 educators who have a background in teacher professional development and project-based learning. The Edible Campus team has a deep knowledge of urban farming, sustainability, food systems careers and ecosystems. Together, that’s a winning combination that will benefit teachers and students in our region.”

Brynteson said participants will get to experience field trips, lab work and hands-on lessons during the immersive professional learning experience. In short, they’ll get to take on the role of students and then transform that experience into engaging lesson plans that will kindle excitement in their own classrooms.

“If you’ve got a teacher who’s excited about these topics and who can share their first-hand experience of being on a hydroponic farm or another innovative place, it can really get students excited,” Brynteson said in the news release. “This can help the students get interested in a topic and take the first step on a career pathway towards professions of the future that may not even exist yet.”

Brynteson noted that there are many cutting-edge career opportunities in Illinois and beyond related to food systems.

“I think for many of us, when we think of food systems, we think of conventional farming,” Brynteson said. “Of course, here in northern Illinois, we often see corn and soybean fields, but agriculture is only one part of the food’s journey into the world and onto our tables. What if we expand that to think about seed innovation, advances in growing technology, and then – what happens to the raw material of food next? How is it processed, and how do we transport it in a way that’s safe and healthy? Food systems are related to so many professions beyond farming, and we’ll explore connections to health care, engineering, logistics and distribution, environmental and climate science, and others.”

Brynteson said the content of lessons will result from genuine collaboration among the NIU faculty and staff, industry experts and the teachers in the program.

“Where do the teachers’ interests – and the needs of their classrooms – intersect with the expertise of NIU researchers and professionals from throughout our region?” she said in the release. “This program is all about networking and building relationships, so that after the immersive learning experience is over, teachers can continue to call on the community and collaborate to improve their teaching.”