(a) In this Section:
     “Pre-service teaching student” means a student who is a declared agricultural education major accepted into an approved agricultural teacher education program at a public university in this State and who has completed at least 30 credit hours and has maintained, at a minimum, a 2.5 cumulative grade point average on a 4.0 scale or its equivalent.

Terms Used In Illinois Compiled Statutes 105 ILCS 5/2-3.80d

  • Appropriation: The provision of funds, through an annual appropriations act or a permanent law, for federal agencies to make payments out of the Treasury for specified purposes. The formal federal spending process consists of two sequential steps: authorization
  • State: when applied to different parts of the United States, may be construed to include the District of Columbia and the several territories, and the words "United States" may be construed to include the said district and territories. See Illinois Compiled Statutes 5 ILCS 70/1.14

     “Illinois agricultural company” means any company in this State that has an interest in the agricultural industry, as determined by the pre-service teaching student’s public university.
     (b) Subject to appropriation, the State Board of Education must, in consultation with the Board of Higher Education, develop an Agricultural Education Pre-Service Teacher Internship Program, beginning at the secondary education level, for pre-service teaching students that consists of both of the following:
         (1) At a minimum, an 8-week experience or 300 hours
    
of experience to prepare the pre-service teaching student for in-classroom experiences, including, but not limited to, experiences in the 5 career clusters for Illinois agricultural education through partnerships with Illinois agricultural companies. The 5 career clusters include agricultural business management, agricultural mechanics and technology, horticulture services operations and management, agricultural sciences, and natural resources conservation management.
        (2) Both in-classroom lectures and hands-on, applied
    
learning.
    (c) Subject to appropriation, the State Board must award grants to a pre-service teaching student enrolled in the Internship Program under subsection (b), which may be used by the student to support all of the following activities:
         (1) A stipend not to exceed $7,500 for a pre-service
    
teaching student’s completion of the Internship Program, distributed in monthly installments.
        (2) Lodging for a pre-service teaching student while
    
participating in the Internship Program.
        (3) Reimbursement for meals, not to exceed the per
    
diem rate established by the Internal Revenue Service, for a pre-service teaching student while participating in the Internship Program.
        (4) Any reasonable costs for participation in the
    
Internship Program charged by any participating Illinois agricultural company.