Winner of 43 national awards
Ag-Venture Passport Educational Program featured at The Great Frederick Fair

FREDERICK, MD–-The nationally recognized Ag-Venture Passport Educational Program once again returns to The Great Frederick Fair, Sept. 17-25, 2004. This outstanding educational program will be available for school children who visit the 142nd fair, "Ag-Sensuate Your Senses."

The innovative program was developed by fair officials and Frederick County Board of Education officials to expand agriculture amongst students. The program, which was first developed for the 1999 fair, consists of hands-on activities around the fairgrounds.

"We are very proud of what the Ag-Venture Passport Program has become since its introduction in 1999," said fair board President J.R. Ramsburg, Jr. "The program encourages people to get around the fairgrounds and makes them aware of how the agriculture industry affects their daily lives.

The fair will again be distributing 25,000 copies of the Ag-Venture Passport Educational Programs which will feature 10 stations throughout the grounds. A map inside the passport assists fair goers where to find the 10 stations. The passports have information to answer questions at each of the 10

stations, and stickers are included in the passport to paste on the correct corresponding page.

A self-inking stamp will be located at each station to validate the passport and prove that the station was visited. Once the validation page is stamped from each of the 10 stations, the participant is to drop off that page, with the completed information, at the City Streets, Country Roads Exhibit by 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 25. A drawing of some special prizes will be conducted at 7 p.m. from the exhibit.

"This program has developed and strengthened partnerships within the community between the fair, educators, business and industry," Mr. Ramsburg said. "The public school system has again embraced this program so much that the curriculum specialists have written pre and post lesson plans for fourth through seventh grade students in the public school system. We are so excited and pleased."

The Ag-Venture Educational Passport Program has received support from the Schools-to-Careers Program and the Maryland Agricultural Education Foundation. Financial sponsors for the program are BB&T, Tourism Council of Frederick County and The Great Frederick Fair.

"The passports are really sharp and they will really get the public’s attention. We believe that young and old alike will continue to take part in this program," Mr. Ramsburg added. The passports will be distributed to students in the county’s public schools fourth through seventh grades in September. Others wanting copies can get them during fair week from the fair’s three Visitor’s Centers; the City Streets, Country Roads Exhibit; and other prominent locations on the grounds. The program will also be featured on the fair’s website as a hands-on activity.

Another innovative program being brought back to this year’s fair is the Ag Careers Fair, in conjunction with the nationally-recognized City Streets, Country Roads exhibit. This one-day event featuring lots of educational and resource value is a project of the Frederick County AgriBusiness Council, and will be held from 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 24, in the City Streets, Country Roads building, Building 44.

It’s Fiber-Optics!, an extension of the City Streets, Country Roads Exhibit, will also return to this year’s fair. The exhibit will highlight displays of a variety of fibers, including sheep and alpaca, and how they are utilized in our clothing, technology and food sources. The exhibit will feature spinning demonstrations and multi-media presentations.