With new educational films, classroom activities and the secondary school pilot, Arla Sweden aims to give more children and young people an insight into Swedish agriculture and how food is produced.
Arla has launched two new educational initiatives for schools: a brand-new teaching resource for primary schools through its Arla Minior programme, and a pilot project enabling lower secondary school pupils to experience dairy farming both digitally and in person.
”Many children and young people are curious about food, animals and sustainability, but few have actually visited a farm. Through these initiatives, we want to make knowledge about Swedish food production more tangible and accessible, whether you live in the countryside or in a city,” said Maja Nordström in a press release. She is project Manager for the initiatives .
The new Arla Minior material is designed for pupils aged 7–9 (Years 1–3) and includes short films following milk’s journey from grass to glass – from grazing cows and calves in the barn to milk on the breakfast table. The films are accompanied by classroom activities encouraging pupils to explore topics such as animal welfare, agricultural cycles and humanity’s dependence on nature.
The teaching materials align with the Swedish national curriculum and can be used either to prepare for a farm visit or as standalone classroom resources. They are available free of charge on Arla’s website and will also be distributed via external educational platforms ahead of the autumn term.
At the same time, Arla is launching a pilot project for lower secondary schools in partnership with LRF. The initiative combines digital meetings with dairy farmers and on-farm visits, beginning with a virtual introduction before pupils deepen their understanding through a visit to a working dairy farm.