About FAITC
Mission: To be a leading collaborator and trusted provider of PreK-12 educational resources and teacher professional development programs focusing on awareness and knowledge of agriculture and natural resources in Florida.
Vision: To ensure every student in PreK-12 education is aware of and appreciates agriculture and natural resources in Florida.
Florida Agriculture in the Classroom, Inc. (FAITC) is a non-profit organization that provides educational resources, grants and other programs to help Pre-K through 12th grade educators incorporate agricultural concepts into their core subject area classes. The goal of FAITC is to expand youth awareness and understanding of Florida agriculture and natural resources by integrating agricultural concepts into core educational disciplines and supporting programs.
Florida Agriculture in the Classroom is funded by sales of the specialty agricultural license plate known as the Ag Tag. Your Ag Tag purchase allows Florida Agriculture in the Classroom to:
- Hold Florida’s Agriculture Literacy Day, in which thousands of industry volunteers read to tens of thousands of students every year.
- Award more than $700,000 in teacher and volunteer grant money since the program’s inception.
- Sponsor more than 15 workshops a year.
- Send teachers to the National AITC Conference.
Meet the Team
Becky Sponholtz joined Florida Agriculture in the Classroom as their Education Program Manager in June of 2013 and become the Executive Director in February of 2017. Before joining FAITC, she was an Agriscience Instructor and FFA Advisor for seven years at Keystone Heights High School and two years at Fort Pierce Westwood High School. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Science and a Master of Agriculture from Auburn University. She is married to Corbin Sponholtz and has a son, Landon and daughter, Chandlee.
Jennifer Morgenthal, Education Specialist, comes to us from Williston, FL. The land of watermelon, peanuts, cattle and timber! She was Valedictorian of her graduating class from Williston High School. Her love for the industry was built by her agriculture teachers, Marcia Smith, Chris Wilder and the late Robert Philpot. She attended the University of Florida and earned her Bachelors in Agricultural Education and Communications. She started her teaching career at Freedom High School and Steinbrenner High School in Hillsborough county. She then moved into online education as an instructor with Florida Virtual School. She is married to Ryan Morgenthal and has 2 sons, Royce and Reese and one daughter, Rose.
Board Members
Chairman
Michael Rogalsky
Florida State Fair
Vice Chair
Tori Rumenik
Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association
Treasurer
Joan B. Kyle
Florida Fertilizer & Agrichemical Association
Secretary
Hilary Holley
Sullivan Ranch
Immediate Past Chair
Carol R. Roe
Wm. G. Roe and Sons, Inc.
Ken Barton
Florida Peanut Producers
Gary Albarelli
Florida Polytechnic University
DeAnne Maples
Florida Beef Council
Tiffany Dale
Florida Strawberry Growers Association
Dr. Brian Myers
UF/IFAS Agricultural Education & Communication
Chris DeCubellis
UF/IFAS Florida 4-H Youth Development
Lee Ann Fisch
Florida Forestry Association
John Hall
Farm Credit of Florida
Nichole Wilder
Florida Department of Education
Michele Curts
Florida Farm Bureau
Corey Lambert
Buckhorn Nursery
Donna Watson
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Division of Food, Nutrition and Wellness
Eric J. Cassiano
UF/IFAS Tropical Aquaculture Laboratory
Danielle Andrews
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Office of Commissioner Fried
Avery LeFils
Florida Dairy Farmers
Abby Crawford
Warner University
