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Caseelynn Shimmin, agricultural educator at Bureau Valley, is one of six agricultural educators nationwide who received the 2024 National Association of Agricultural Educators’ Outstanding Early Career Teacher Award.
The award was presented Dec. 3-7 during the 2024 NAAE Convention in San Antonio, Texas.
The NAAE Outstanding Early Career Teacher Award is presented to a NAAE member in their third to eighth year of teaching who have exemplified great teaching methods in the classroom and have been dedicated to their career through personal and professional growth. The NAAE Outstanding Early Career Teacher Award program is sponsored by John Deere and Bayer.
With a teaching philosophy focused on comfort, passion and work ethic, Shimmin empowers students to confidently apply agricultural knowledge in their everyday lives, the NAAE said in a news release. Shimmin teaches a range of courses, including pre-veterinary studies and food science, while leading an active FFA chapter with more than 300 members. Her dedication to professional growth is reflected in her leadership roles within organizations like the Illinois Association of Vocational Agriculture Teachers and the National Association of Agricultural Educators, the NAAE said. Additionally, Shimmin serves as a mentor to many pre-service agricultural educators, fostering the next generation of agricultural educators.
NAAE is the professional organization for agricultural educators with more than 9,000 members nationwide. The organization advocates for agricultural education, provides advancement through professional development for agricultural educators and works to recruit and retain agricultural educators in the profession, the NAAE said. NAAE offers a variety of programs and services to support this three-pronged mission. The mission of NAAE is “professionals providing agricultural education for the global community through visionary leadership, advocacy and service.” NAAE is headquartered in Lexington, Kentucky.