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Soil Health Educational Resources Now Online

Soil Health Institute creates online catalog and links to soil health education curricula and resources

Soil Health Educational Resources Now Online

Soil Health Institute creates online catalog and links to soil health education curricula and resources

Published 06-21-18

Submitted by The Soil Health Institute

Soil Health Institute releases K-Adult Education Resource Links. Photo by Jim Richardson.

Students of all ages and the general public are increasingly interested in understanding soil health.  However, information on soil health needed by educators is widely dispersed, making it difficult to find the necessary educational resources. 

The Communications & Education Action Team of the Soil Health Institute (SHI) is pleased to provide a catalog of soil health educational resources for K-12 educators and the general public, organized by audience and subject matter.

“The catalog has been designed so that educators, formal and informal, can easily find soil education lesson plans to use with students,” said Susan Schultz of SMS Consulting and SHI Action Team Volunteer. “The lessons have a great connection to standards taught at each grade level and can easily fit into a science, language, history or art class.”

Soil plays an important role in our lives. Soil provides nutrition in the food we eat; filters our water; cleans our air; provides habitat for pollinators and other wildlife; sequesters carbon; and sustains the livelihoods of millions of farmers and ranchers worldwide who preserve and nurture this precious resource.

These educational resources are designed to help educators teach students and adults about the critical functions that soil plays in sustaining life on earth.

“This catalog of curricula is designed for anyone interested in promoting a science-based understanding of our living soil - especially those involved in educating our children,” explains Scott Jones of Regenerative Farming Practices based in Illinois and SHI Action Team Volunteer.

“In working in the field of soil health education I hear many educators express the challenges of finding resources that help to educate on this topic,” adds Jessica Handy, with Kiss the Ground based in California and Action Team Volunteer. “Having a catalog of resources will make it much easier to access what is already available.”

SHI Communications and Education Action Team members that made the catalog possible include: Beth Mason (co-lead) of the National Association of Conservation Districts; Ron Nichols (co-lead), formerly of USDA-NRCS; Lisa Bellows of North Central Texas College; Gretchen Sassenrath of Kansas State University; Sami Tellatin at University of Missouri; Caroline Wade of The Nature Conservancy; Susan Schultz of SMS Consulting and Earth Team Volunteer; Jessica Handy of Kiss the Ground; Gary Farrell of the Washington State Soil Health Committee; and Scott Jones of Regenerative Farming Practices.

“We are deeply appreciative of the efforts of these volunteers.  They have created an accessible, easy-to-use tool to help us better understand the landscape of soil health education today,” said Dr. Wayne Honeycutt, SHI President and CEO. “I look forward to supporting the work of this Action Team as they begin to engage schools and educators interested in incorporating soil health into their lessons.”

Recognizing that keeping this catalog of educational resources current will be an on-going process, the Communications and Education Action Team invites additional input, which can be added here.

If you are interested in joining the SHI Communications & Education Action Team, or any other Action Team, please contact SHI here.  

For further information, visit www.soilhealthinstitute.org.

About the Soil Health Institute

The Soil Health Institute's (www.soilhealthinstitute.org) mission is to safeguard and enhance the vitality and productivity of soil through scientific research and advancement. The Institute works with its many stakeholders to identify gaps in research and adoption; develop strategies, networks and funding to address those gaps; and ensure beneficial impact of those investments to agriculture, the environment and society.

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The Soil Health Institute

The Soil Health Institute

About the Soil Health Institute
The Soil Health Institute is a global non-profit with a mission to safeguard and enhance the vitality and productivity of soil through scientific research and advancement. We bring together leaders in soil health science and the industry to help farmers, ranchers, and landowners adopt soil health systems that build drought resilience, stabilize yield, and benefit their bottom line.

The Institute’s team of scientists, holding doctorates in various soil science and related disciplines, has developed highly effective soil health targets and standardized measurements to quantify progress at achieving regenerative and sustainable agricultural systems, and leads the cutting-edge fields of carbon sequestration and decoding the soil microbiome.

Healthy soils are the foundation for rejuvenating our land. Together, we can create a secure future for all, mitigate the effects of climate change, and help agriculture and organizations meet production and environmental goals at scale.

Visit soilhealthinstitute.org to learn more and follow us on LinkedInTwitter, and Facebook.

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