2026 Oklahoma Ag in the Classroom Teacher of the Year Announced

Oklahoma Ag in the Classroom is excited to announce Mrs. Jennifer Meyer as the 2026 Ag in the Classroom Teacher of the Year.

Jennifer Meyer is a first-grade teacher at Grove Elementary School District in Shawnee. She has been teaching for 14 years and has taught at her current school for five years.

"I strive to make every day the best day ever for my students, and AITC resources make it easy to plan hands-on, high-impact lessons," Meyer said. "These lessons allow both my beginning and confident readers to access agricultural concepts in student-friendly ways. I also involve families by sharing photos and encouraging students to talk about what they are learning at home. Inspired by the summer conference, I wrote a grant and organized our own school Ag Day. With support from colleagues, it has become an annual event our students eagerly anticipate."

Mrs. Meyer has incorporated "Fun Ag Fridays" into her first-grade classroom. Every Friday, she focuses on teaching her students a cross-curricular lesson built around an agricultural topic. She says students are highly engaged and always looking forward to the next week. One of the fun Ag Fridays was about chickens and their life cycles and another one focused on pickles! They read books about cucumbers, pickles, plant life cycles, and even had pickle taste testing. She also regularly shares photos with the school app and social media. Mrs. Meyer shared that she hears from parents often that students are talking about agriculture at home, which lets her know that the lessons are making a difference!

"Since Mrs. Meyer began her journey with Oklahoma Ag in the Classroom, she continues to add more agriculture into her classroom and is always so eager to share what she does with other educators. She has presented at both the 2024 and 2025 Oklahoma AITC State Summer Conference, and even shares in less formal ways, like social media and our What's Up Wednesday Zoom sessions. She is making a difference and teaching agricultural literacy in her classroom every day," said Oklahoma AITC Coordinator, Emily Ague.

Mr. Bolen, Superintendent at Grove Public Schools, says Mrs. Meyer is beyond deserving of the Ag in the Classroom Teacher of the Year Award. "Jennifer has written, applied for and received numerous grants that have funded Ag in the Classroom activities for her students and for many other students in our school. She earned a grant from Shawnee Educational Foundation and worked with a colleague to plan a "Farmer for a Day" outdoor learning experience that our first through third grade students have participated in each of the past three years. She earned a grant that provided ag books for our school library from the Oklahoma Women's Farm Bureau. She earned a grant from AITC and the Pork Council to teach students about agriculture, focusing on pork and plants grown in our state. She also earned a grant for 1st grade students to participate in "Veggie Ready," a kids cooking program. Jennifer's knowledge, skills, and experience place her at the top of her profession, and we are extremely fortunate to have someone of her caliber here at Grove School."

Mrs. Jennifer Meyer is to be honored by the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry as part of the state's annual Oklahoma Ag Day Celebration on Wednesday, April 29th. Mrs. Meyer will receive an all-expense paid trip to the National Ag in the Classroom Conference this June in Rhode Island. Sponsors of the Oklahoma Ag in the Classroom Teacher of the Year include the Oklahoma Farm Bureau Women's Leadership Committee and the Oklahoma Soybean Board.

To learn more about Ag in the Classroom curriculum, visit https://oklahoma.agclassroom.org/