Agriculture educators play a vital role within their communities by investing countless hours to prepare and empower students for successful careers in the industry. To honor their contributions and support them with additional resources, Nationwide and the Nebraska FFA Foundation are accepting nominations for Nebraska’s leading agricultural teachers for a chance to be named the 2025-2026 Ag Educator of the Year.
Nationwide and its state partners recently recognized 96 exceptional agricultural teachers as 2024-2025 Golden Owl Award® finalists and then honored 13 grand prize winners as their state’s Ag Educator of the Year. Every finalist received $500 in funding to help advance their programs and the grand prize winners received an additional $3,000 to boost their efforts and the coveted Golden Owl Award trophy.
Nominate any Nebraska agriculture educator for the 2025-2026 Golden Owl Award from October 1, 2025 through December 31, 2025.
“The Golden Owl Award seeks to thank agricultural teachers for the extraordinary care they bring to their work as they go above and beyond in educating America’s youth and future leaders,” said Brad Liggett, president of Agribusiness at Nationwide. “We encourage students, parents, fellow teachers, and others to nominate their agricultural teachers to acknowledge their hard work.”
Following the nomination period closing on 12-31-25, a selection committee will evaluate nominations and select six finalists in Nebraska, who will be recognized in front of their peers and students and awarded a personalized plaque and $500. One finalist will then be chosen as the grand prize winner, earning the 2025-2026 Ag Educator of the Year title for Nebraska and receiving the coveted Golden Owl Award trophy and an additional $3,000 to help fund future educational efforts.
Nationwide supports the future of the ag community through meaningful sponsorships of national and local organizations. In conjunction with the Golden Owl Award, Nationwide is donating $5,000 to each participating state’s FFA, including the Nebraska FFA Foundation, to further support the personal and professional growth of students, teachers, and advisors alike.
To nominate a teacher or learn more about the Golden Owl Award, visit Nebraska Golden Owl Award.
