Awards and Recognition
Awards Resource (Credit: Jason Bullock)
Awards Form for Districts submitted to Chris Carlson by April 1st
The Washington Association of Agricultural Educators, in cooperation with the National Association of Agricultural Educators, recognize members with a variety of award opportunities. Each of the areas are listed below with information regarding application possibilities for regional and national recognition.
Outstanding Early Career Teacher*: This award recognizes outstanding members who are in their third, fourth, fifth, sixth, or seventh year of teaching at the time they apply are eligible for this award. District members select an Outstanding Young Member from their district, these nominees are recognized at the state level. To qualify for regional and national recognition, nominees must complete the online national application.
Outstanding Teacher*: This award recognizes outstanding members who are conducting the highest quality agricultural education programs. The award recognizes leadership in civic, community, agriculture/agribusiness and professional activities. Outstanding agricultural educators are innovators and catalysts for student success in agricultural education. District members select an Outstanding Teacher from their district, these nominees are recognized at the state level. To qualify for regional and national recognition, nominees must complete the online application.
Outstanding Middle/Secondary Program*: This award recognizes outstanding agricultural education programs and effectively communicates success stories. District members select an Outstanding Program from their district, these nominees are recognized at the state level. To qualify for regional and national recognition, nominees must complete the online national application.
Teacher Mentor Award*: This award program will provide additional incentives for experienced teachers to become mentors for beginning teachers, and it will provide beginning teachers a way to say “thank you” to the experienced teachers who have influenced them. District members can select an Outstanding Mentor from their district, these nominees are recognized at the state level. To qualify for regional and national recognition, nominating teachers must complete the national application. This award is nationally sponsored by CEV Multimedia.
Outstanding Postsecondary Agriculture Program Award*: This award recognizes exemplary postsecondary institutions and full-time young farmer and adult ag ed programs. Qualifying young farmer and/or adult ag ed program staff must devote at least 50 percent of their teaching time to this level of instruction. Previous regional winners may reapply for this award every five years if they choose. To qualify for regional and national recognition, nominees must complete the online national application.
Lifetime Achievement Award*: This award program recognizes retired NAAE members who have made significant contributions to agricultural education at the state, regional, and national levels. District members can select a nominee for Lifetime Achievement Award from their district. State winning applications should be brought to the respective NAAE Regional Leadership Conference for judging.
*SPECIAL NOTE: ANY QUALIFIED APPLICANT MAY APPLY FOR THIS AWARD AT THE STATE LEVEL, EVEN IF THEY ARE NOT DISTRICT NOMINEES!
Outstanding Cooperation: This award program recognizes organizations, agribusiness companies, and others who have given outstanding support to agricultural education. District members can select a nominee for Outstanding Cooperation from their district. State winning applications should be brought to the respective NAAE Regional Leadership Conference for judging. The plaques for this award are sponsored by Forrest T. Jones & Company.
Outstanding Service Citation This award program recognizes current or retired NAAE members who have made significant contributions to agricultural education at the state, regional, and national levels. District members can select a nominee for the Outstanding Service Citation from their district. State winning applications should be brought to the respective NAAE Regional Leadership Conference for judging. The Outstanding Service Citation is sponsored by Goodheart-Willcox.
Teachers Turn the Key: This award program is for members who are in their second, third or fourth year of teaching at the time they apply are eligible for this award. (When the awards are presented at the subsequent NAAE convention, the scholarship recipients will be in their third, fourth or fifth year of teaching.) Applicants must be a member of NAAE during the year of application (2021-2022) and be a member of NAAE at the time of the convention at which they receive the scholarship (2022-2023). All state winners must agree to attend the entire NAAE convention.
Ideas Unlimited: This award is designed to give members an opportunity to exchange classroom, SAE, leadership, and other teaching ideas. The idea may be original or borrowed. Each application should specify how the idea was used by the applicant and how the idea could help others in their teaching. All active NAAE members, except current members of the NAAE board of directors, who are teaching agricultural education are eligible to enter this competition. In addition, each applicant must have been a NAAE member the three previous years or continuously since he/she began teaching. There are no restrictions limiting the number of times an individual can win regionals. This Award is sponsored by National Geographic Learning/Cengage Learning.
Outstanding Administrator: This award recognizes outstanding administrators who support and nurture agricultural education programs. District members select an Outstanding Administrator from their district, these nominees are recognized at the state level. There is no regional or national competition for this award.
Outstanding Legislator: The state would also like to recognize an outstanding legislature for their support of agricultural education. Nominee names should be given to the WAAE Executive Director. The executive committee will select the state winner and present their award during banquet.
Outstanding New Teacher: District members select an Outstanding Rookie from their district. Only one rookie or first year teacher is selected per district. There is no regional or national competition for this award.
30 Minute Club: This award program is to recognize teachers who have spent at least 30 minutes promoting agricultural education and/or education in general through the media beyond the borders of the state. Qualifying members must identify themselves on registration forms during summer conference.
Teacher of Teachers: This award program recognizes teachers who have previous students who are new teachers in agricultural education. Teachers with one or two new teachers will receive a bronze certificate. Teachers with three or four new teachers will receive a silver certificate and teachers with five or more new teachers will receive a gold certificate. A certificate is presented each time a new teacher is added. Qualifying members must identify themselves on registration forms during summer conference.
Years of Service: The WAAE recognizes members at every 5 years of membership with WAAE membership certificates. When a member reaches the 25 year mark, they are presented with an engraved watch from the state organization. Retiring teachers are also recognized at the annual conference and banquet.
Awards Applications can be found HERE and are due in the Spring, Date TBD but will be updated after Spring Exec.