Recent Grants from  AG-C.I.T.E. Fund to Provide Educational Enrichment 
for Youth

August 18, 2009: The Community Foundation of Frederick County’s AG-C.I.T.E. Fund recently awarded grants to two area farming organizations to provide learning opportunities for youth.

The Frederick County Farm Bureau Young Farmers was awarded $146.92 for its Accurate Ag Education Book project that will provide a book to each Frederick County Public School visited by the organization. “The books will be used as the Young Farmers educate children about the safety of the American food supply, the processes items go through from field to table, and the products supplied, from food to fiber to fuel,” said Richard Stonebraker of the organization.

The Great Frederick Fair was awarded $400 to develop its R-U-N2-AG web-based education program for youth, its newest education component to be debuted at The Great Frederick Fair this fall. R-U-N2-AG will promote the importance of health, fitness, and nutrition, targeting agriculture as it relates to manufacturing, biotechnology, IT, finance, research and development, and agribusiness in Frederick County and ultimately Maryland, said Becky Brashear, Executive Assistant of The Great Frederick Fair. “This new and innovative program will show the importance of agriculture in our lives and in our survival.”

In 2005, Frederick sisters, Ashley and Kaitlyn Fuss, along with support from the Fuss and Fogle families and friends, created The AG-C.I.T.E. Fund with the Community Foundation to heighten awareness, promote agriculture, and provide agriculture educational activities for residents of all ages throughout Frederick County. AG-C.I.T.E. stands for Agriculture Community Interactive Teaching Experience. Both Ashley and Kaitlyn continue to actively donate to the Fund with sales proceeds of the farm animals they raise for The Great Frederick Fair each fall. They also conscientiously review grant applications for the Fund, making recommendations to the Community Foundation’s Grants Committee.

Ashley and Kaitlyn agree the Accurate Ag Education Book project and the R-U-N2-AG web-based program will reach a significant number of people throughout the county. “Our goal is to impact the most amount of people possible,” they said. “We want The AG-C.I.T.E Fund to expand throughout the community, and both of the organizations awarded will help us achieve that goal.”

Those who wish to support learning opportunities and promote agriculture along with Kaitlyn and Ashley Fuss, may make a secure online donation to The AG-C.I.T.E. Fund. To do so, click here. Checks made payable to The Community Foundation of Frederick County with the Fund’s name in the memo line may be mailed to 312 East Church Street, Frederick, Maryland 21701.

Since 1986, the Community Foundation has been tailoring the unique charitable dreams of generous donors into charitable funds that benefit a variety of causes throughout Frederick County. As a leading philanthropic organization, the Community Foundation has provided more than $22 million in scholarships and grants creating positive and lasting change for generations to come. For more information about the Community Foundation, log on to www.cffredco.org.