Eva Manzke reads a book about apple orchards to her students on Oct. 28. Manzke, a third- and fourth-grade teacher at Walker Elementary School in Bedford Park was named 2023 Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom Teacher of the Year. (Photos supplied by Cook County Farm Bureau)
SD104 teacher Eva Manzke named agriculture classroom teacher of the year
Eva Manzke, a third- and fourth-grade teacher at Walker Elementary School in Bedford Park, was named 2023 Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom Teacher of the Year. Cook County Farm Bureau’s Director of Agricultural Literacy Katrina Milton (from left), Walker Elementary School Principal Amanda Venegonia, Manzke, and Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom Education Director Kevin Daugherty.
Eva Manzke, a third- and fourth-grade teacher at Walker Elementary School in Bedford Park, is the recipient of the 2023 Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom Teacher of the Year Award from the Cook County Farm Bureau.
Manzke, who has been a teacher for 30 years, utilizes agriculture across her curriculum with her students. From urban agriculture and hydroponics to livestock and crop production, Manzke finds unique opportunities to integrate agriculture into her classroom. She has received multiple grants to further develop her afterschool program BAM (Body, Agriculture, and Mind) to further expose her students to all facets of agriculture. Manzke has taken advantage of the local connection to Ingredion, the multi-national ingredient provider located in her neighborhood, to further integrate careers and impact of agriculture on the local economy. Manzke has attended multiple ag-related teacher professional development workshops, as well as the American Farm Bureau’s On the Farm Dairy STEM experience.
“It is great bringing agriculture curriculum to our district,” Manzke said. “The students are so surprised by Ingredion being so close. This summer I did a lot of professional development in order to up my game.”
As the winner of the award, Manzke will receive a trip to the National AITC Conference in Orlando, Florida, in June 2023, a plaque, and is nominated for the USDA AITC Excellence in Teaching about Agriculture Award.
On Oct. 28, Manzke was surprised in her classroom with the news that she is the award’s recipient. She also received a floral arrangement and a framed certificate.
For more information about Illinois Ag in the Classroom, visit www.agintheclassroom.org.
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Congratulations Ms. Manzke from Jaeyden Quiroz!!! Very proud of you!!!