Awards
Awards for NCATA Members and NAAE Members
NCATA maintains an extensive awards program to recognize the accomplishments of our states talented and dedicated members. We strive to recognize North Carolina's Agricultural Educators at every state of their careers, from scholarships to lifetime achievement.
North Carolina Award Application Process 2024
Application Process:
- All awards will initially be judged at the State Level.
- Submit your applications directly to NCATA for this stage; do not use the online system on naee.org at this point.
- Refer to the NCATA Application Cover Page (linked below) for submission details.
Important Dates:
- All Award Applications are due by Friday, March 22nd, at 5 pm, via email to awards@ncagteachers.org.
- Utilize the provided Application Cover Sheet as the first page of your award application.
- Submit all awards to NCATA in PDF format for judging.
- NC nominees (state winners) will be notified by April 22nd. Nominees will then submit their applications via the NAAE website by May 15th.
North Carolina and NAAE Award Categories
NAAE Outstanding Teacher Award
This program distinguishes NAAE 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. Individuals may receive the regional award only once; previous regional winners are not eligible to apply.
NAAE Outstanding Early Career Teacher Award
The NAAE Outstanding Early Career Teacher Award program encourages young teachers to remain in the profession and to encourage and recognize participation in professional activities. NAAE members who are in their third, fourth, fifth, sixth, or seventh year of teaching at the time they apply are eligible for this award. (When the awards are presented at the subsequent NAAE convention, the award recipients will be in their fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, or eighth year of teaching.) Individuals may receive the regional award only once; previous regional winners are not eligible to apply.
NAAE Teachers Turn the Key Scholarship
Agricultural education is continually faced with a shortage of qualified teachers. Unless those who have been trained enter and remain in the profession for a period of several years, the shortage of qualified teachers will prevail. As a means of encouraging young teachers to remain in the profession and to encourage and recognize participation in professional activities, NAAE offers the Teachers Turn the Key Scholarship.
NAAE 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.)
NAAE Outstanding Middle/Secondary Program Award
A goal of NAAE is to promote outstanding programs in agricultural education and effectively communicate success stories. The Outstanding Middle/Secondary School Ag Ed Program Award promulgates that goal. Agricultural education programs in middle schools and secondary schools are eligible to participate in this recognition program. Previous regional winners may reapply for this award every five years if they choose (that is, programs that won the regional award in 2022 may reapply in 2027).
NAAE Outstanding Postsecondary Agriculture Program Award
NAAE places high value on continuing education in agriculture. The Outstanding Postsecondary Agriculture Program 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 (that is, programs that won the regional award in 2022 may reapply in 2027).
NAAE Teacher Mentor Award
If you ask agriculture teachers what motivated them to enter and stay in the teaching profession, predominately they will attribute their decision to another agriculture teacher who encouraged them. Many state agricultural education associations have recognized the importance of positive relationships between beginning and experienced teachers by creating formal organizational structures to connect beginning and experienced teachers. 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.
NAAE Ideas Unlimited Award
The Ideas Unlimited 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 the regional contest.
NAAE Outstanding Service Award
NAAE will recognize current NAAE members, retired NAAE members, and organizations who have made significant contributions to agricultural education at the state, regional, and national levels with the Outstanding Service Award.
NAAE Lifetime Achievement Award
NAAE will recognize retired NAAE members who have made significant contributions to agricultural education at the state, regional, and national levels with Lifetime Achievement Award.
NAAE Upper Division Scholarship
NAAE will award scholarships to students who are majoring in agricultural education and who will be completing their student teaching in the fall 2024 or spring 2025 semesters. Previous recipients of the NAAE Upper Division Scholarship are not eligible.
Eric N. Godwin NCATA Scholarship
First year members may apply for a scholarship for their second year NCATA dues.