INFLUENCE

INFLUENCE PROGRAM OVERVIEW:
A year-long immersive program designed to help agricultural educators develop their leadership and advocacy skills, while setting them on the path to building and sustaining influence within their local community, school, state agricultural teachers' association, other state organizations, and at regional and national levels.

This program will include participation in an intensive professional development experience (multiple sessions) both in-person and virtual throughout the year.

Selected participants will be required to engage in all sessions (virtual and in-person) with the final capstone project presentations during the 2026 NAAE Convention in New Orleans, Louisiana, which will occur December 2-5, 2026. The program will kick off prior to the National Policy Seminar in Washington D. C. on March 21-25, 2026.

It is important for applicants to have strong support from their administration. Selected participants are required to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with NAAE and their administration stating that support.  

Eligibility:
All active NAAE members, except current members of the NAAE board of directors, are eligible to apply.

• Each applicant must have been an active NAAE member the five (5) previous years or continuously since the applicant began teaching. *Selected applicants must remain active NAAE members in the agricultural education profession throughout the cohort program.
• Applicants must be in at least their fifteenth (15th) year of teaching at the time they apply for this program.
• Applicants must be classified as full-time middle or high school agricultural educators, 2-year postsecondary agriculture teachers, teacher educators, or state ag education staff to apply. 

Program Details and Expectations
Each INFLUENCE participant will be expected to engage in the following professional development activities:

1. INFLUENCE Institute at the 2026 ACTE National Policy Seminar, March 21-24, 2026;
2. Six virtual learning experiences;
3. At least one social media engagement event;
4. A capstone project (development, execution, and presentation); and
5. INFLUENCE Institute at the 2026 NAAE Convention, December 2-5, 2026. 

Each participant will receive a scholarship for:

1. Registration for the 2026 ACTE National Policy Seminar and 2026 NAAE convention. 
2. Round trip, coach airfare to the ACTE NPS and NAAE convention from the commercial airport nearest the recipient’s home (those choosing to drive a personal vehicle to the convention will be reimbursed at the current NAAE mileage rate up to the dollar amount of the round-trip airfare).
3. Lodging for three nights (double occupancy with fellow participant) for ACTE NPS and three nights (double occupancy with fellow participant) at the NAAE convention 

NAAE will not pay for cost of substitutes, travel expenses, baggage fees, mileage to and from airport, hotel or airport parking fees, and other related expenses. 

DEADLINE TO APPLY: Friday, January 16, 2026

SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION 

Please direct questions to Alissa Smith, NAAE Chief Executive Officer.