AFBF Convention Educator Experience

Applications for the AFBF Convention Educator Experience have closed. 

The American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture (AFBFA) and Nationwide have teamed up to bring educators to the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) Convention January 19-22, 2024, for an immersive educational experience. 

Purpose: The purpose of the AFBF Convention Educator Experience is to connect teachers with farmers and ranchers from across the country. The hope is to help them understand the American Farm Bureau Federation and how their local Farm Bureaus can help them teach about agriculture and encourage networking with their educator peers. 

Thanks to the generosity of Nationwide, four educators will be selected to attend, with all registration, travel, lodging, and meal expenses paid. Some highlights of this experience will include: 

• Participation in local agricultural tours to experience first-hand agriculture around Salt Lake City. 
• Attendance at AFBFA’s annual “Flapjack Fundraiser,” which showcases the Foundation’s programs, 
• Networking with AFBFA staff and others involved in agriculture education, 
• Attendance at a special reception hosted by Nationwide, 
• General sessions and workshops of the AFBF Convention. 

Eligibility: Educators employed by a school system and working in grades K-12 who have demonstrated involvement in agricultural literacy programs are eligible to apply for the experience. The selected educators will be responsible for securing the time off to attend – arriving on Friday, January 19 and departing Monday, January 22. 

Application Guidelines: 

• Applications are due September 1, 2023.  
• Recommendations by state Farm Bureaus are required. The Foundation will submit applications to Farm Bureaus for recommendations. You do not need to do this yourself. 
• All applicants will receive notification of the results by early-October. 
• Recipients will receive reimbursement of expenses for the AFBF Convention. Expense items include hotel, meals, transportation expenses (mileage or airfare, whichever is less), and parking. AFBFA will not pay for substitute teacher time. 
• To be reimbursed, the recipient must submit an expense form with receipts and a one- or two-page report to include what the educator learned, how they plan to use the information in the classroom, how they intend to share the information with other educators, and a projection of how many students would be reached with the information in the next school year.