Farming is the backbone of America, but recent trends show a growing need for more agricultural educators. An increase in popularity of agricultural education has created a demand for the recruitment of new teachers and the retention of knowledgeable industry mentors.
To help shed light on the importance of agricultural education and the tremendous contributions of teachers, Nationwide, the number one farm insurer in the United States¹, has established the Golden Owl Award, honoring the agriculture educator of the year. During the inaugural year, Nationwide partnered with the Iowa FFA, Ohio FFA, and Ohio Farm Bureau® to introduce the accolade in Ohio and Iowa.
Seven teachers from Iowa and ten teachers from Ohio will be selected as honorees, receiving a $500 prize and entrance into the final selection stage. One honoree from each state will be chosen for the grand prize, winning the coveted Golden Owl Award and a $3,000 prize. All donations are designed to reward the educator for their dedication, and support their continued educational efforts.
“We created this award to bring attention to the growing need for agricultural teachers in this country,” said Brad Liggett, president of Agribusiness for Nationwide. “Providing teachers with these additional resources will help develop their programs and provide their students with an optimal learning experience. Our goal is to spread this award to more states in the coming years to highlight all the talented agriculture teachers across the country.”
Teachers eligible for nominations include middle school and high school agricultural educators, as well as college level professors teaching agricultural courses. Students, faculty and community members can nominate their agricultural instructors now through Nov. 16th by going to www.GoldenOwlAward.com.
Honorees for each state will be announced in December 2018. The grand prize winners for each state will be announced in April 2019.