Illinois Association of Vocational Agriculture Teachers

From the classroom to Capitol Hill!

Michelle Wiseman had the incredible opportunity to travel to Alexandria, VA, and Washington, D.C., representing the IAVAT at the ACTE (Association for Career and Technical Education) National Policy Seminar.

It was an inspiring week filled with insightful sessions and powerful speakers. A major highlight for her was spending time on Capitol Hill, where she met with legislators to discuss the vital importance of Ag Education and the impact of hands-on learning for our students back home in Illinois.

Congratulations to Mr. Scott Riden from United High School on being named the District 1 Golden Owl Award finalist! A special thanks to Nationwide, Compeer Financial, and Farm Credit Illinois for supporting this award each year. Especially during FFA week, we are so grateful for our outstanding teachers and FFA advisors.
Want to see full results for this year's Illinois Golden Owl Award and more info on how to nominate other deserving ag teachers for awards? Check out the full list of winners and future award nomination info here - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1K-8t_Efe-RISIHS_wwu8TsHlCvT73ivjkGIIywsanKw/edit?usp=sharing

Congratulations to Mr. Curt Robbins from Fairfield High School on being named the District 5 Golden Owl Award finalist! A special thanks to Nationwide, Compeer Financial, and Farm Credit Illinois for supporting this award each year. Especially during FFA week, we are so grateful for our outstanding teachers and FFA advisors.

Congratulations to Dr. Jay Solomonson from Illinois State University Agricultural Education on being named the Postsecondary Golden Owl Award winner! A special thanks to Nationwide, Compeer Financial, and Farm Credit Illinois for supporting this award each year. Especially during FFA week, we are so grateful for our outstanding teachers and FFA advisors, both at the high school and postsecondary levels.

Congratulations to Mr. Joe Steffen from Newark High School on being named the District 2 Golden Owl Award finalist! A special thanks to Nationwide, Compeer Financial, and Farm Credit Illinois for supporting this award each year. Especially during FFA week, we are so grateful for our outstanding teachers and FFA advisors.

Congratulations to Mrs. Betsy Burgener from Central A & M High School on being named the District 4 Golden Owl Award finalist! A special thanks to Nationwide, Compeer Financial, and Farm Credit Illinois for supporting this award each year. Especially during FFA week, we are so grateful for our outstanding teachers and FFA advisors.

Our IAVAT members aren’t just experts in the classroom—they are leaders in the professional development space! We are so proud of our members who stepped up to present workshops at this year’s IACTE Conference.

By sharing their innovative strategies, classroom successes, and industry knowledge, these educators are helping strengthen Career and Technical Education across the entire state of Illinois.

A huge thank you to our presenters for "teaching the teachers" and representing Agriculture Education so well!

ISU Ag Education preservice teachers attend the Illinois Association for Career and Technical Education (IACTE) conference.

Opportunities like this allow our future educators to:
•Network with seasoned CTE professionals.
•Learn about legislative updates and curriculum innovations.
•Prepare to lead high-quality Ag programs across the state.

We can't wait to see how they bring these insights back to their student teaching and beyond!

Congratulations to Mr. Steve Sargeant from Bushnell-Prairie City High School on being named the District 3 Golden Owl Award finalist! A special thanks to Nationwide, Compeer Financial, and Farm Credit Illinois for supporting this award each year. Especially leading up to FFA week, we are so grateful for our outstanding teachers and FFA advisors.

Join us in celebrating four of our own! We are incredibly proud of these IAVAT members who were recognized for their outstanding contributions to Career and Technical Education at this year’s IACTE Conference.

Please help us congratulate:

• Sue Schafer- IACTE Champion for Career and Technical Education Award

• Gary Ochs- IACTE Teacher Educator of the Year

• Kindra Callahan- IACTE Teacher of the Year

• Mike White- IACTE Lifetime Achievement and Hall of Fame Award

These educators represent the very best of Agriculture Education in Illinois. Their dedication to their students, their programs, and the future of CTE is what keeps our industry moving forward!

Members of IAVAT proudly represented agricultural education at the Illinois Association for Career and Technical Education House of Delegates.

We are excited to share that IAVAT received the Gold Level Professionalism Award and was also recognized as the Largest Affiliate.

These honors reflect the dedication, leadership, and professionalism of our members across the state.