{"id":20853,"date":"2024-11-19T08:50:25","date_gmt":"2024-11-19T13:50:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pfb.com\/?p=20853"},"modified":"2025-08-13T08:12:49","modified_gmt":"2025-08-13T08:12:49","slug":"st-james-school-educator-kelley-damore-honored-as-teacher-of-the-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nustreamdesigns.xyz\/pfb\/st-james-school-educator-kelley-damore-honored-as-teacher-of-the-year\/","title":{"rendered":"St. James School Educator Kelley Damore Honored as Teacher of the Year"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
<\/span>
\n
\n
\n
\"\"\n\n\n
<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n

HERSHEY \u2013 An Erie County teacher was selected as the 2024 Teacher of the Year on Nov. 19th<\/sup> during the Pennsylvania Friends of Agriculture Foundation Breakfast during this year\u2019s Pennsylvania Farm Bureau Annual Meeting in Hershey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kelley Damore, a fourth and fifth grade teacher from St. James School in Erie County, was selected as this year\u2019s winner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kelley Damore\u2019s exemplary commitment to integrating agricultural education into her classroom earned her this recognition. Damore has creatively incorporated agricultural concepts into core subjects, sparking a love of learning and an appreciation for the role of farming in everyday life among her young learners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She says it is the \u201cah-ha moments\u201d when students discover that a misconception about agriculture is false, such as chocolate milk does not come from brown cows, which is making a difference in continuing to foster the curiosity to learn more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cKids really enjoy working with food products and wen they see how they are grown and produced and know more about agriculture to carry forward into their own lives,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Damore\u2019s hands-on approach has included interactive lessons and partnerships with local farmers to bring real-world agricultural experiences to her students. As a farmer\u2019s daughter she has also taken her students to her family\u2019s farm to learn more about how food starts at the farm.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe kids in our communities here in Pennsylvania need ag education like never before. I want to thank Ms. Damore for her dedication to bringing ag into her classroom each year,\u201d said Tommy Nagle, Chairman of the PFB Promotion and Education Committee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 29th<\/sup> annual Ag Institute Teacher of the Year Award is sponsored by the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau Promotion & Education Committee. The purpose of this award is to recognize teachers who are doing an excellent job of teaching their class about agriculture and integrating agricultural concepts into the existing curriculum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She will receive a $500 cash prize and a $1,000 travel scholarship to attend the 2025 National Ag in the Classroom Conference in Minneapolis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Pennsylvania Friends of Agriculture Foundation is committed to promoting agricultural literacy and supporting educators who are making a difference in the lives of their students. Damore\u2019s efforts serve as a shining example of the impact that innovative, agriculture-based education can have in connecting young minds to the vital world of farming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Pennsylvania Friends of Agriculture Foundation, a charitable organization of the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, is committed to educating the public about the importance of agriculture. Through various educational initiatives like the Mobile Ag Lab, Ag Literacy Week, and the Educator\u2019s Ag Institute, the Foundation works to enhance agricultural understanding across the state. To learn more, visit pfbfriends.org.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n