Illinois Ag Teacher Leadership Institute
2027 Louisiana Immersion
June 20–24, 2027
Presented in partnership by:
Program at a Glance
A five-day, New Orleans-based professional development immersion for Illinois agriculture educators with 15+ years of experience. The week pairs hands-on agricultural and food-system exploration with structured leadership development and ready-to-use classroom resources, while building a durable peer cohort teachers carry back to Illinois.
5 days, 4 nights with lodging at a single home-based hotel
Tours and on-site transporation
Up to 15 participants
Tentative Agenda:
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Day 1 — Arrival & Cohort Launch:
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Opening session, self-assessment, and welcome dinner
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Day 2 — Global Trade & Ag Economics:
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Port of New Orleans and lesson lab
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Day 3 — Plant & Production Science:
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University research corridor and ag-career pathways
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Day 4 — Land, Heritage & Aquaculture:
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Exploring history, aquaculture, and rice production
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Day 5 — Community, Food Systems & Closing:
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Regional classroom experiences, urban agriculture, and action planning
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What To Expect:
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Immersive agricultural field experiences
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Leadership workshops
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Lesson-plan labs that turn each experience into classroom-ready units
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Hosted evening dinners and cohort connection
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A personal leadership growth plan and classroom-ready workbook
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A durable peer cohort of fellow ag educators
