The Future Agriscience Teacher (FAST) Symposium is a professional development experience for preservice agricultural education majors which provides customized professional development, networking, and mentoring with current and future agriculture teachers from across the country.
Questions related to FAST symposiums may be directed to Cameron Earlywine.
NAAE Convention Future Agriscience Teacher (FAST) Symposium - December 1-4, 2026 in New Orleans, LA at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside.
Program Eligibility
To be eligible to apply for this program, each applicant must be:
- Be a 2026-2027 dues paid NAAE student member ($10). Check membership status with Ashley Hood at ahood.naae@uky.edu.
- Be registered for NAAE Convention/ACTE CareerTech Vision.
**The first 100 preservice agricultural educators who apply, and meet the eligibility requirements, to attend the symposium will have the cost of their NAAE Convention/ACTE CareerTech Vision student member registration reimbursed (up to $155) after completion of program. After successful completion of the FAST program you will email your ACTE CareerTech/NAAE Convention receipt and completed NAAE Reimbursement Form (provided during programming) to cearlywine.naae@uky.edu who will process your registration reimbursement. Institutions with multiple FAST participants can send in one reimbursement request. NAAE only reimburses up to the Early Bird registration rate amount ($155) for the first 100 participants registered. If you register for NAAE Convention after July 31, 2026, YOU WILL NEED to use the NAAE Student Member discount code (provided upon the conclusion of this RSVP) to receive the early-bird rate when registering. If you are one of the 100 who are eligible for reimbursement and you do not use the code, you will be responsible for the remaining balance above the allotted $155.
**In order to be eligible to receive convention registration reimbursement as outlined previously, you must attend ALL mandatory FAST Sessions FULLY. This means, you must arrive by 8:30 am on Tuesday December 1, 2026 for FAST Session I and stay until the final FAST session concluding at 1:00/1:30 pm on Friday, December 4, 2026. If you do not, you will not be eligible for registration reimbursement.
- Complete this 2026 NAAE Convention FAST Symposium RSVP Survey.
**This FAST RSVP registration is different than NAAE Convention/ACTE CareerTech Vision registration. There is no cost to attend FAST but you must RSVP your spot by completing this registration to allow NAAE to prepare for your participation. The NAAE/ACTE student registration rate gets you into FAST and all other NAAE/ACTE Convention components. You may need to ask your Teacher Educator to be certain you are registered for NAAE Convention/ACTE CareerTech Vision, if they handled your registration.
- Be an agricultural education major at a college or university that offers a program of study in agricultural education-teacher certification track or similar licensure program that ends in being certified to teach agriculture at the secondary level; M. Ed initial licensure majors are also eligible to apply as long as they have never taught before. (Priority is given to those who are close to completing their degree (seniors, student teaching candidates).
- Those who have attended a FAST session in previous years ARE eligible to attend and receive reimbursement.
Program Registration Requirements and Timeline
Interested and eligible preservice teachers must complete the FAST RSVP registration below by Friday, October 23, 2026- no exceptions. You are encouraged to RSVP early so you are guaranteed registration reimbursement. Please check your NAAE student member status prior to applying. Those who are not current NAAE student members will not be given access to the event.
You will book your own travel and accommodations and will be responsible for all meals and incidental expenses that are not part of the program or NAAE/ACTE convention.
