First The Seed Foundation
is Helping Teachers ToGROW POTENTIAL
Tomatosphere™
Tomatosphere™ is a teacher-friendly curriculum-driven program for grades K – 12. It combines the excitement of space with hands-on experiences for students. Students benefit from the expertise of the US seed industry by germinating tomato seeds. They learn about the scientific method, careers, space, nutrition, and agriculture. Join over 22 500 other classes and contribute to the further application of knowledge to assist with our understanding of long term space travel.
Planting The Seed
Are you ready to grow the next generation of seed scientists and environmental innovators? Our Planting the Seed Program will help you do just that by letting your students explore how tiny seeds can solve some of the planet’s biggest problems and discover an exciting world of future opportunities.
Back to Earth
Students learn about the Space Station and the importance of studying plant growth for long term space travel to constructing their own greenhouse. All five lessons use NGSS, Next Generation Science Standards. These are science content standards that set the expectations for what students should know and be able to do. The standards used are for 10-12 grade science instruction.
Grow A Seed
The seed industry is at the forefront of innovations in developing food, fuel, and fiber for the growing world’s population. It offers a wide range of career opportunities, including Management and Business; Science and Engineering; Agriculture and Forestry Production; Education; Communication, and Government Services and more. That’s why we’ve developed Grow – a free career education program to help your students explore their talents and become successful in the workplace.
Ambassador Program
It’s important that students get the opportunity to meet real people working in the seed industry, so we’ve created the Ambassador Program as a platform for seed professionals to share their experiences and successes. FTSF develops materials to be used by our Ambassadors to "tell the story of seeds" in their local area – or wherever the opportunities exist. All you will need to do is smile and have a great time sharing our story.
About
First the Seed Foundation
First the Seed Foundation (FTSF) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization established in 2008 by the American Seed Trade Association, one of the oldest trade associations in America, to inform and educate tomorrow’s workforce about the importance of the seed industry.
Our Mission
To create and provide educational and informative materials and resources, on the science and value of crops and food produced from seed, and to encourage the younger generations to become more involved with agriculture.
Our Goals
- To attract the best and brightest minds to agricultural fields of study.
- To teach students, communities, and teachers about the impact that seed-derived crops and food have on their daily lives.
- To increase awareness among American teachers and students about the science and technology being employed by the seed industry and how changing needs in agricultural must be met with education programs in plant breeding, genetics, and seed science if we are to keep pace with global demands in a sustainable manner.
- To create new avenues, materials, and tools for learning to enable teachers and communities to bring meaningful impact and understanding of the seed industry to students and consumers.
- Diversity, equity, and inclusion complement our organizational values and encompass the way we work, the work environment, and respect for all people and their ideas.
- Work collaboratively with other organizations to position the seed industry for a sustainable future.
Featured Resources
Send a Postcard to Space
Thanks to a partnership with Club for the Future, you can now send a postcard to space and back! The Club’s mission is to inspire students to pursue careers in
A Day in the Life of a Plant Breeder – Caio Canella
Caio Canella, soybean breeding research specialist at the University of Missouri-Columbia, spoke with Seed World about the “Support-A-Scholar Fundraiser: A Day in the Life of a Plant Breeder Panel Discussion.”
https://seedworld.com/a-day-in-the-life-of-a-plant-breeder/