NAAE Facilitator Training Academy

NAAE facilitators from across the nation met January 13-15 in Lexington, Kentucky to engage in facilitator preparation for NAAE programs. NAAE Facilitators engaged in teamwork practices, content creation, and refined their facilitation skillsets.

Our facilitators are trained to lead various NAAE professional development events such as the Future Agriscience Teacher Symposium (FAST), Agriscience Inquiry Institutes (Ag I²), the eXcellence in Leadership for Retention (XLR8) professional development program, Teachers Turn the Key, NAAE My Local Cooperative Instructional Modules Trainings, and other professional development offered through NAAE. The 2023 NAAE Facilitator Training Academy was presented by NAAE mentor facilitators and Oregon agricultural educators J.D. Cant and Wes Crawford.

Mark Anderson, PA

Jacob Ball, KY

David Black, KY

Wes Crawford, OR

Beth Dickenson, OR

Jason Ferreira, CA

Nikki Fideldy-Doll, ND

Jessica Grundy, UT

John Hammond, KY

Rachel Knight, NM

Charlie Mann, NV

Sherisa Nailor, PA

Kim O'Byrne, NM

Breanna Pastir, ND

JoAnn Pfeiffer, OH

Krista Pontius, PA

Rachel Sauvola, WI

Scott Stone, MO

Troy Talford, WI

Chad Warnick, UT

Brian Welch, KY

NAAE Ag Ed Strand at ACTE National Policy

The NAAE Ag Ed Strand at the ACTE National Policy Seminar is held annually in Washington, DC. This event is a great way to get involved in shaping agricultural education legislative support through advocacy. This year's event will take place March 20-23, 2023. NAAE will pay the registration for one person per state. Click here to learn more about the event and to register.

Applications are now open for the 2023 National Agriscience Teacher Ambassador Academy!

The National Agriscience Teacher Ambassador Academy (NATAA) has over 15 years of successfully cultivating agriscience and inquiry-based learning in agricultural education. The Academy serves to train agriculture teachers on how to enhance the science that is already present in agriculture, as well as develop students as problem solvers and thinkers through the inquiry-based teaching method. If selected as a National Agriscience Teacher Ambassador, you will be required to attend a national training session. The session is scheduled to be held the week of July 10-14, 2023. Applications are due March 15, 2023. Click here to learn more.

Save the Date for the 2023 NAAE National #TeachAg Day!

NAAE National #TeachAg Day is Thursday, September 21, 2023. NAAE is excited to share educator resources, lesson plans, and more in the months to come. The NAAE National #TeachAg Day Live Celebration will take place in Portland, Oregon.

Congratulations to the following NAAE student member who have been selected to attend the NAAE Creating an Inclusive, Diverse, Equitable, and Accessible Program (IDEAP) Future Agriscience Teacher (FAST) symposium, which will be held March 1-4, 2023 in Lexington, Kentucky.

The Future Agriscience Teacher (FAST) Symposium is a professional development experience for preservice agricultural education majors which provides customized professional development, networking, and mentoring with current and future agriculture teachers from across the country. The IDEAP FAST will focus on creating an inclusive, diverse, equitable and accessible classroom environment, inquiry-based learning, professional development. and collegiality.

Francisco Delgado-Aceves, Washington State University

Jared Mickelson, University of Wisconsin - River Falls

Erin Morrissey, University of Florida

Natalie Anselmo, California State University - Fresno

Sidney Sanchez, California State University - Fresno

Jack Roessler, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Abby Edwards, Delaware State University

Nicolette Cusate, Pennsylvania State University

Alyssa Glover, Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College

Morgan Jaterka, Utah State University

McKayla Carlson-Hughes, North Dakota State University

Samaila Mamman, University of Maryland

Dylan Driskell, University of Kentucky

Madyson Planck, University of Kentucky

Whitney Evans, University of Kentucky

Ana Feeback, University of Kentucky

Taylor Mayhue, Iowa State University

Gabrielle Zachery, Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College

Jared Lovro, North Dakota State University

Matthew Syrotiak, University of Connecticut

Attending a regional conferences is great way to connect with other agricultural educators, get involved in the organization and stay up to date on the latest news, events, and professional opportunities. For the most up to date information related to regional conferences, including agendas and registration information, click here.

Region I Conference

(AK, AZ, CA, HI, ID, MT, 

NV, OR, UT, WA, WY)

May 31 - June 2, 2023

Bozeman, Montana

Region II Conference

(AK, CO, KS, LA, NM, OK, TX)

June 19-22, 2023

Hot Springs, Arkansas

Region III Conference 

(IA, MN, NE, ND, SD, WI)

June 19-21, 2023

Alexandria, Minnesota

Region IV Conference

(IL, IN, KY, MI, MO, OH)

June 27-29, 2023

Archbold, Ohio

Region V Conference

(AL, FL, GA, MS, NC, 

PR, SC, TN, VI)

June 11-14, 2023

St. Augustine Beach, Florida

Region VI Conference

(CT, DE, ME, MA, MD, NH, NJ, 

NY, PA, RI, VT, VA, WV)

July 31 - August 2, 2023

Allentown, New Jersey

35 of the 37 STAR (State Teach Ag Results) Program calls took place between December and January. States strategized plans to recruit and retain highly qualified and diverse educators. Strategies are structured to focus on three pillars: 

1. Recruitment strategies 
2. Preservice engagement and retention 
3. Current teacher retention and engagement

Over 300 attendees have interacted on the STAR calls to strategize and engage in recruitment, retention, and recognition efforts, totaling 52.5 hours.

Interested in becoming a STAR state? Contact Ashley Rogers.

Every two years, a new crop of federal policymakers enter Congress for the beginning of the next congressional session. ACTE has developed this resource to help you effectively develop relationships with new Members of Congress and urge them to support policies that will help advance high-quality CTE for all learners. The start of the 118th Congress presents the perfect opportunity to inform them about CTE and encourage their support! Visit the advocacy guide here.

A vault is where we keep our most prized possessions and the things that are valued most. The Valuables Vault in the By Choice Newsletter is designed to equip teachers with jewels and valuable tools to help them carry onward in the profession. The Valuables Vault will highlight information, tips, and tricks that hold value in agricultural educators' professional and personal lives.

Unlock the Potential of the Month: 

Is it ironic that the month of February is associated with Love and FFA week happens during the same month? Coincidence? NO WAY!  This month remember to print off the proclamations, contact local legislators, and assist your students in planning awesome events. At the end of the month, Grants for Growing will launch! You will be able to apply for up to $5000 for your chapter. Write it down on your calendar and check it out here.

Combination to Happiness: 

As most take a respite during the winter months, the schedule of Agricultural Educators begins to ramp up. Simplify your life during this time and declutter. Clutter and Chaos often go hand and hand. Pick one room to declutter, it could even be your classroom. Get organized. Check out these tips for organization from Marie Kondo.

My Local Cooperative Learning Modules 

The National Association of Agricultural Educators is working in partnership with the CHS Foundation to offer engaging and inquiry based instructional materials that have everything you need to deliver quality instruction on the cooperative business model, the impact of cooperatives on the community and cooperative career opportunities. The modules are yours to use and come with everything you need; materials list, teacher notes, handouts, presentation tools, assessments and more. Click here to access the modules.

Follow My Local Cooperative on Social Media 

Make sure you are following the NAAE My Local Cooperative social media platforms for agriculture cooperative career profiles, agriculture cooperative facts and ways to access My Local Cooperative workshops, toolkits and grants. You can follow My Local Cooperative on Facebook and Twitter.

My Local Cooperative is an initiative of the National Association of Agricultural Educators with funding support from the CHS Foundation.

Calendar  

February 1 - National Agriscience Teacher Ambassador Applications Open

February 10 - Ag Ed Strand at ACTE NPS Registration is Due (One person per state)

February 10-12 - NAAE Board of Directors Meeting in Lexington, Kentucky

March 1-4 - NAAE Creating an Inclusive, Diverse, Equitable and Accessible Program (IDEAP) Future Agriscience Teacher Symposium in Lexington, Kentucky

March 20-23 - Ag Ed Strand at ACTE National Policy Seminar in Arlington, Virginia

May 15 - NAAE Award Applications Due

May 15 - Upper Division Scholarship Application Due

June 30 - 2022-2023 NAAE Membership Year Ends

January 2023 Impact and Engagement Overview 

16,912 Twitter followers/12,481 total tweets (all NAAE accounts) 

24,681 Facebook followers (all NAAE accounts)

7,104 Instagram followers (all NAAE accounts) 

7 email campaigns were sent totaling 32,198 unique sends with an average 46% open rate