PHOENIX, Arizona – Alysha Kientopf, agricultural educator at Garretson High School in South Dakota, is one of six agricultural educators nationwide who received the 2023 National Association of Agricultural Educators Outstanding Early Career Teacher award, presented during the 2023 NAAE Convention, November 28 through December 2, in Phoenix.
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 partially sponsored by John Deere.
“Every child, every day” are the words that Kientopf uses to not only guide her teaching style, but her classroom learning environment as well. Since beginning her career at Garretson High School, Kientopf has worked tirelessly to restructure and reenergize the agricultural education program, and now teaches a variety of courses in a two-year course offering rotation. She works diligently to ensure that her program is inclusive to all students by using a variety of teaching and learning styles to meet her students’ needs. Kientopf holds a large number of certifications including ServeSafe, Beef Quality Assurance Certifications, and a South Dakota Private Pesticide Application License.
NAAE is the professional organization for agricultural educators with over 8,000 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. 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, Ky.
