Nominations Open for South Dakota's Ag Educator of the Year

A teacher engaging with enthusiastic students in a lively classroom setting, featuring educational displays and symbols from Agricultural Education and Northeast Radio SD.

Northeast Radio SD News - Watertown, SD - The search is on for South Dakota’s top agricultural educators, as the South Dakota FFA Foundation has opened nominations for the 2025-2026 Golden Owl Award. The award recognizes agricultural teachers for their dedication and crucial role in preparing students for successful careers in the industry.

The Golden Owl Award, introduced by Nationwide in 2018, aims to recognize and provide resources to agricultural education programs across the nation. Since its inception, the program has awarded more than $600,000 to support teachers, students, school agricultural programs, and FFA chapters.

"Agricultural educators are so much more than teachers; they’re community servants who are shaping the leaders of tomorrow,” said Brad Liggett, president of Agribusiness at Nationwide. “Together with our partners, we encourage students, parents, fellow teachers, and other community members to nominate their agricultural teachers to acknowledge their hard work.”

Nomination and Selection Process

Community members, including students, parents, and fellow teachers, are encouraged to nominate any South Dakota agriculture educator for the award. The nomination period is open from October 1, 2025, through December 31, 2025. Nominations can be submitted online at www.sdaged.org/GOA.

After the December 31 deadline, a selection committee will choose eight finalists in South Dakota. Each finalist will be recognized with a personalized plaque and a $500 award.

One grand prize winner will then be selected as the 2025-2026 Ag Educator of the Year for South Dakota. The winner will receive the coveted Golden Owl Award trophy and an additional $3,000 to support future educational endeavors.

The Golden Owl Award is expanding this year to include a total of 15 states. Nationwide also supports the future of the agriculture community by donating $5,000 to the FFA Foundation in each participating state, including the South Dakota FFA Foundation. The award’s name is inspired by the owl, which is a symbol of knowledge and wisdom in the FFA emblem.