professional development

Membership Excellence Awards

NAAE maintains an extensive awards program to recognize the accomplishments of our many talented and dedicated members. We have awards for agricultural educators in every stage of their careers, from scholarships to lifetime achievement. We also manage grant programs for organizations who want to help support agricultural education and agricultural educators.

2025 Membership Excellence Award Applications

Supporting information for each award is in PDF format. Accessing the files requires Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available FREE from the Adobe website.


2025 NAAE Outstanding Agriculture Teacher Award

Tractor Supply Company

This NAAE Outstanding Agriculture Teacher Award celebrates the dedication of NAAE members who foster boundless classroom and limitless learning for their students. This award recognizes their role in shaping the future and honors their contributions to developing the next generation of citizens and agricultural leaders. Recipients are recognized for their program development innovation as well as their commitment to lifelong learning. Each applicant must have been a NAAE member the five (5) previous years or continuously since the applicant began teaching. The Outstanding Agriculture Teacher Award is sponsored by Tractor Supply Company. 

The deadline for submitting applications via the link below is May 15, 2025.

Outstanding Agricultural Education Teacher is an online application, which means you will have to log in to the NAAE website to access the application form. Please be sure to download the application instructions, supporting information and required signature document below to get started, and check the "Need help?" section for tips about navigating the online system.

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2025 NAAE Outstanding Early Career Teacher Award

At every age and every stage, we are entrusted with future leaders who will change the world. The NAAE Outstanding Early Career Teacher award recognizes beginning educators, fostering their growth, and celebrating their professional engagement. Early career NAAE members are the foundation of our organization, and this award looks to celebrate their accomplishments and support them throughout their careers. Each applicant must have been a NAAE member the three (3) previous years or continuously since the applicant began teaching. 

The deadline for submitting applications via the link below is May 15, 2025.

Outstanding Early Career Teacher is an online application, which means you will have to log in to the NAAE website to access the application form. Please be sure to download the application instructions, supporting information and required signature document below to get started, and check the "Need help?" section for tips about navigating the online system.

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2025 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 seeks to recognize agriculture programs at the middle and high school level that are creating boundless classrooms and providing limitless learning for their students. The award specifically highlights the achievements and growth of the program over the last five years (2020-2025). 

The deadline for submitting applications via the link below is May 15, 2025.

The Outstanding Middle/Secondary Program Award is an online application, which means you will have to log in to the NAAE website to access the application form. Please be sure to download the application instructions, supporting information and required signature document below to get started, and check the "Need help?" section for tips about navigating the online system.

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2025 NAAE Outstanding Postsecondary Agriculture Program Award

NAAE upholds a commitment to advancing agriculture and cultivating the next generation of agricultural educators. The Outstanding Postsecondary Agriculture Program Award honors postsecondary institutions, farm business management programs, full-time young farmer and adult agricultural education programs who are developing humble leaders energized by shaping the future of agriculture one student or adult at a time. This application should highlight the growth and successes of the program over the last five years (2020-2025).

The deadline for submitting applications via the link below is May 15, 2025.

The Outstanding Postsecondary Agriculture Program Award is an online application, which means you will have to log in to the NAAE website to access the application form. Please be sure to download the application instructions, supporting information and required signature document below to get started, and check the "Need help?" section for tips about navigating the online system.

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2025 NAAE Teacher Mentor Award Application

CEV

Bringing out the best in our students, requires us to bring out the best in ourselves. But we never have to do that alone. The NAAE Teacher Mentor awards embodies the profound impact of “Leading and Learning Together”. The motivation to an agriculture teachers career choices can be traced back to the influence of an exceptional mentor. Recognizing a pivotal role of a mentor, numerous state associations have established formal frameworks fostering positive relationships between experienced and beginning teachers as well as in-service teachers. This award program honors those NAAE members who have committed their time and expertise to supporting and celebrating other teachers in the profession. Even though much focus is given to beginning teacher mentoring, mentoring becomes a part of lifelong learning, and this award also highlights those teachers that dedicate their career to advancing our profession through mentoring on all levels including experienced teachers. The Teacher Mentor Award is sponsored by iCEV.

The deadline for submitting applications via the link below is May 15, 2025.

Teacher Mentor is an online application, which means you will have to log in to the NAAE website to access the application form. Please be sure to download the application instructions, supporting information and required signature document below to get started, and check the "Need help?" section for tips about navigating the online system.

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2025 NAAE Ideas Unlimited Award Application

The Ideas Unlimited award opens the doors to a world of boundless classrooms and limitless learning opportunities for active members at every age and in every stage of their careers. NAAE members have the opportunity to exchange classroom, experiential learning, leadership, and other teaching ideas. The idea may be original or drawn from collective inspiration. Applicants are invited to showcase its implementation and how the idea can enhance agricultural education through this award category. 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.

The deadline for submitting applications is May 15, 2025.

Ideas Unlimited is an online application, which means you will have to log in to the NAAE website to access the application form. Please be sure to download the application instructions, supporting information and required signature document below to get started, and check the "Need help?" section for tips about navigating the online system.

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