Agricultural education is faced with a shortage of qualified teachers.   Unless those students trained at our nation's teaching institutions enter and remain in the profession for several years, a shortage of teachers will continue to exist.   The Outstanding Young Member Award Program encourages young teachers to remain in the teaching profession.   Innovative, aggressive young teachers with an exceptional professional record, including participation in NAAE, are recognized for their early efforts in the teaching profession.

This award program is sponsored by John Deere as a special project of the National FFA Foundation.

NAAE members who have completed at least three years but not more than five years of teaching are eligible to enter this program.  Twenty-six (26) associations named state winners.  Each of these regional winners and their spouses received transportation, lodging and complimentary registration to attend the NAAE Convention in San Diego.

Twenty-five (25) associations named state winners.  Each of these regional winners and their spouses received transportation, lodging and complimentary registration to attend the NAAE Convention in San Diego.

Region I Sandi Weishaupt Vancouver, Washington Region II Matthew Schweer Arkansas City, Kansas Region III Scott Thiel Fargo, North Dakota

Region IV Patrick Henne Springport, Michigan Region V Ann Turner-Johnson Munford, Tennessee Region VI Ben Cummings Elizabeth, West Virginia

This award program recognizes active NAAE members who are conducting the highest quality agricultural education programs.  It rewards them for their civic, community, agriculture/agribusiness and professional leadership.  And, it highlights each teacher's ability to draw upon community resources to provide relevant and meaningful educational experiences for all students.  Award applicants must demonstrate how they are innovators and catalysts for agricultural education at all levels, including technical to special educational programs.

This award program is sponsored by New Holland, Inc. as a special project of the National FFA Foundation.

Twenty-nine (29) associations named state winners.  Each of the following regional winners and their spouses received transportation, lodging and complimentary registration to attend the NAAE Convention in San Diego.

The NAAE Outstanding Agricultural Education Program Award recognizes the nation's most successful programs and agriculture teachers.  The award highlights how they incorporate the basics and use new technology to teach students at all instructional levels.  Finally, the award program encourages agriculture teachers to communicate to partners how successful the local agricultural program is in meeting the needs of the community, school and students.

This award program is sponsored by the Case Corporation as a special project of the National FFA Foundation.

Twenty-seven (27) associations named state winners.  Each of these regional winners received transportation, lodging and complimentary registration to attend the NAAE Convention in San Diego.

Region I
Yelm High School
Yelm, Washington
Teachers:   Elaine Lewis, Bruce Morris, Mike Patrick, Chris Scott and Dennis Wallace

Region II
Centerpoint School District
Amity, Arkansas
Teachers:   Troy Buck, Mickey Ford and Phillip Thomas

Region III
Weyauwega-Fremont High School
Weyauwega, Wisconsin
Teachers:   Sandra Dykes and Connie Peterson

Region IV
Oregon-Clay High School
Oregon, Ohio
Teachers:   Linda Rossler and Charles Schneider

Region V
West Columbus High School
Cerro Gordo, North Carolina
Teachers:   Joshua Bledsoe and Carlton Campbell

Region VI
Hampshire High School
Romney, West Virginia
Teachers:   William Chaney, Paul Roomsburg and Ron Watson

1999-2000 was the fourth year of the NAAE Postsecondary All-Star Team.  This award program is designed to recognize excellence in postsecondary and adult agricultural education programs.   Most careers in modern agriculture and related sciences are "hi-tech" careers that require education beyond secondary school.  Outstanding agriscience and agribusiness educational programs beyond the high school level of instruction are more important today than ever before.  NAAE is proud to honor some of these exceptional postsecondary programs.

The awards for the regional winners are sponsored by the Animal Industry Foundation.

In this fourth year of the program, award recipients were named in all of the six regions.

Region I
San Joaquin Delta College
Stockton, California
Teachers:   Ben Beam, Todd Burnett, Larry Paulsen and Mike Toscano

Region II
Autry Technology Center
Enid, Oklahoma
Teacher:   Don Roberts

Region III
North Dakota State College of Science
Wahpeton, North Dakota
Teachers:   Paul Oehlke, Frank Schander, Brad Tews and Keith Torgerson

Region IV
Joliet Junior College
Joliet, Illinois
Teachers:   Brad Angus, David Cattron, Dr. James Ethridge, Dale Hummel, William Johnson, Dr. Scott Keller, Mark Kuster, Lisa Perkins, Allen Reed, Roger Ross, Jim Shinn, Linda Slobodnik and Larry Windish

Region V
Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Teachers:   Dr. Cliff Ricketts

Region VI
State University of New York College of Agriculture and Technology
Cobleskill, New York
Teachers:   Dr. Douglas Goodale

Exchanging classroom and teaching ideas keeps an agricultural education program alive and teachers up-to-date.   The NAAE Ideas Unlimited program recognizes teachers for developing and sharing their innovative ideas.

This award is sponsored by Pfizer Animal Health as a special project of the National FFA Foundation.

The NAAE awards the Outstanding Service Citation to individuals who contribute to the furtherance of agricultural education on a regional and national level.  Awards were sponsored by Delmar Thompson Learning.

Those who received the award in 2000:

The Outstanding Cooperation  Award is presented annually to  organizations, agribusinesses or individuals who give exceptional support to agricultural education, student organizations (such as the FFA) and NAAE.  Awards were sponsored by Forrest T. Jones & Company and Ruritan National.

Those who received the award in 2000:

NAAE presents Honorary Life Membership to individuals who contribute to the furtherance of the organization and agricultural education regionally and nationally.  Awards were sponsored by the National Pork Producers Council.

Those who received the award in 2000: