News Release
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Julie Fritsch, NAAE Communications/Marketing Director
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – November 30, 2016
Riverton Agriculture Teacher Selected as One of Top Agricultural Educators in the Nation
LAS VEGAS – Jacob Larison, agricultural educator at Riverton High School in Riverton, Kan., is one of only six individuals nationwide who received the Outstanding Agricultural Education Teacher Award, given at the National Association of Agricultural Educators annual convention in New Orleans onNovember 30.
The Outstanding Agricultural Education Teacher award program distinguishes NAAE members who are at the pinnacle of their profession—those who are conducting the highest quality agricultural education programs. The award recognizes leadership in civic, community, agriculture/agribusiness and professional activities. Outstanding agricultural educators are innovators and catalysts for student success in agricultural education.
Larison has been an agricultural educator for 20 years. Before his arrival at Riverton High School, administration was seriously considering closing the agriculture program. Over time Larison was able to rebuild the program and double student enrollment, leading to a new state-of-the-art agricultural education facility being built in 2005.
The first half of the FFA motto –“learning to do, doing to learn”–has guided Larison’s career. He provides his students with a wide variety of experiences to showcase their talents and opportunities address their challenges.Larison knows that real life experiencesare more effective and interesting to his students than classroom lectures. All his courses have an experiential learning element, where students get to work with animals, aquaculture or on a shop project to apply classroom concepts in a hands-on setting.
All students enrolled in agricultural education at Riverton High School are also FFA members. Riverton FFA is the largest organization in the community and members are known for hard work, and having a willing spirit. Many community events would not be possible without FFA volunteers.
“It important to note that Riverton High School’s ag education program and FFA chapter were essentially dead upon his arrival in 2001. The programs were in a severe state of declining enrollment and participation. Since that time, Larison has revamped the curricular offerings and provides a yearly rotation of curriculum so that a student can easily remain in the program all four years of high school. In small schools like ours, this type of creativity is a must in order to provide students elective options that meet their needs and interests,” said Todd Berry, Riverton Unified School District Superintendent.
Each of the six regional Outstanding Teacher Award winners was recognized at the NAAE convention in Las Vegas. The Outstanding Teacher Award is sponsored by Caterpillar, Inc. and Tractor Supply Company as a special project of the National FFA Foundation.
NAAE is the professional organization in the United States for agricultural educators. It provides its’ nearly 8,000 members with professional networking and development opportunities, professional liability coverage, and extensive awards and recognition programs. The mission of NAAE is “professionals providing agricultural education for the global community through visionary leadership, advocacy and service.” The NAAE headquarters are in Lexington, Ky.
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