Outstanding Teacher Award
Photo by Leyva CarenCoAITC Outstanding Teacher Award
The Colorado Agriculture in the Classroom (CoAITC) Outstanding Teacher Award is given to an educator currently engaged in classroom instruction at the preK-12 grade levels. This award recognizes the teacher for his/her creative efforts to integrate agriculture into his/her classroom and curricula to increase agricultural literacy. An agriculturally literate person is defined as "one who understands and can communicate the source and value of agriculture as it affects our quality of life."
The winning Colorado teacher will receive a $500 monetary award and have up to $1,500 of his/her related expenses paid to attend the National Agriculture in the Classroom (NAITC) Conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota, June 23-26, 2025.
If the winning teacher chooses not to attend the NAITC Conference, he/she will receive the $500 monetary award from the CoAITC, but he/she will not receive the $1,500 designated for travel expenses. The runner-up CFA Outstanding Teacher Award winner will be offered the designated travel funds of up to $1,500 to attend the NAITC Conference.
Eligibility
- Colorado licensed teachers that are currently engaged in integrating agricultural concepts into non-agricultural education settings at the PreK-12 grade levels are eligible. Applications may be from an individual or a team of teachers working together. Please note that only one award and prize totaling $2,000 will be made per team. High school and middle school agricultural educators are not eligible for this award.
- The size of an educator's class or school and geographical location are not factors of the selection criteria. An educator from a small school or a rural school has equal chance of winning as one from a large or urban school.
- Past winners (since 2018) of the CoAITC Outstanding Teacher Award are not eligible to win again. Past applicants that did not win are encouraged to resubmit their application in following years.
Review Process
Applications will be evaluated by a review committee that will score the applications based on a rubric of 100 possible points. Scores will be averaged for each application. The rubric is based on these four criteria:
- 25 points - Creativity and Utilization of Agricultural Information: The degree to which sound agricultural concepts have been infused into the classroom curriculum. References should be made to the creative methods utilized in advancing student learning.
- 25 points - Interdisciplinary Approach: The degree to which agricultural concepts have been included in a variety of subjects or topics. Value will be placed on the approach which teaches agriculture across the curriculum or subject.
- 25 points - Student Impact: Evidence of positive change in behavior, student attitudes and overall learning. This can be qualitative or quantitative evidence, quotes, or student work.
- 25 points - Overall Impact, Longevity of the Program: Evidence of historical and new agricultural concepts introduced to the class and/or school wide.
Expectations and Recognition
The winner of the CoAITC Outstanding Teacher Award will become an ambassador for Colorado Agriculture in the Classroom. They may be asked to present at CoAITC hosted teacher professional development events (i.e. Summer AgriCULTURE Institute), write e-newsletter and/or blog content, create posts for CoAITC social media, and other activities to share programs and experiences with other educators
CoAITC will write and distribute a press release on the winner. Additionally, CoAITC will work with the winner to recognize the teacher and his/her accomplishments at his/her school/district. CoAITC will work with the winner if other recognition opportunities become available.
The following year (2026), the 2025 CoAITC Outstanding Teacher Awards winner may apply for the National Agriculture in the Classroom Organization Excellence in Teacher About Agriculture Award. CoAITC staff will work with the Colorado award winner to complete and submit application components by the mid-January deadline.
2025 Application
Applications must be completed and submitted by 11:59 p.m. MST on January 31, 2024. For questions, contact Jennifer Scharpe, CoAITC Executive Director.