Teacher of the Year Award FAQs
What is the Janet Sims Memorial Teacher of the Year award?
The Foundation recognizes one Kansas teacher each spring who demonstrates a commitment to connecting his or her classroom to Kansas agriculture. The 2010 recipient will be honored at the State Ag Day celebration held in Topeka in March.
The 2010 recipient will have the opportunity to choose between an all-expense paid voucher to attend the National Agriculture in the Classroom Conference in Baltimore, Md., June 24-26, 2010; or a $250 gift certificate to purchase agricultural education supplies for their classroom. The KFAC Teacher of the Year will also have the opportunity to apply for national recognition, which gives them $1,500 towards attending the national conference.
The recipient will be able to share their experiences with the KFAC board of directors and membership at the Annual Meeting held in the fall. In addition, the recipient will be featured in an edition of KFAC News, our newsletter, which is sent to the membership, donors and contributing organizations.
Who is eligible to apply?
Any K-12 teacher who is teaching in a certified school in Kansas in a non-vocational agriculture classroom setting and who is integrating agricultural concepts into non-agricultural curricula is eligible for this award. Vocational agricultural education teachers are not eligible to apply.
How do I get an application?
Applications are available on the KFAC website, www.ksagclassroom.org, or by contacting the office, (785)-532-7946.
When are applications due?
Applications must be postmarked by December 4, 2009. Applications should be sent to:
KFAC
KSU – COE
124 Bluemont Hall
1100 Mid-Campus Drive
Manhattan, KS 66506
What do I need to include with my application?
In addition to the application form, applicants must complete six narrative responses (found on the application) and submit a letter of recommendation. The letter of recommendation may be from any supporter including but not limited to a coworker, administrator, parent, student, or community partner. The letter should describe the applicant’s ability to promote agricultural literacy and their role in applying agricultural education in the current curriculum.
How will my application be evaluated?
Applications will be reviewed by a panel of persons familiar with agriculture, education and KFAC. Applicants will be evaluated on their abilities to integrate agriculture concepts into class curricula; to teach agriculture across the curriculum; to align agricultural learning activities to State educational standards; and to provide evidence of impact on student attitudes and overall teaching.
The recipient of the award will be notified in late winter, and all other applicants will be notified at this time also.
