To recognize the contributions of Missouri’s leading agricultural teachers, Nationwide Insurance and the Missouri FFA Foundation are honoring exceptional teachers as semi-finalists for the Missouri Golden Owl Award.
In the inaugural year for the Golden Owl Award contest in Missouri, nominations were collected for the state’s top agricultural teachers from local students, parents, fellow teachers and community members across Missouri from Sept. 20 – Dec. 31, 2023. Almost 400 nominations were received.
Paula K. Bodenhamer, an Ag education instructor at in the Dora R-III School District, was selected as one of the semi-finalists for the program. Bodenhamer earned this recognition due to her dedication to students, commitment to agriculture education and positive impact on both the community and agriculture industry.
As a semi-finalist, Bodenhamer is eligible to move on to the second round of the state competition, help April 17-19, where seven state finalists will be chosen. Each finalist will receive a plaque and a $500 prize. Finalists will have a chance to be named as Missouri’s Ag Educator of the Year at the Missouri FFA State Convention, earning an additional $3,000 prize and the Golden Owl Award trophy.
Bodenhamer states, “I am grateful and honored to have the opportunity to be nominated. I am but one of the over 500 committed and professional ag. teachers in Missouri that get up every day to make a positive difference in the lives of their students. I am an ordinary person who works hard to do a good job every day. This is what I know, my kids know I care about them and want the best for them educationally and personally.”
Heather Dimitt-Fletcher, executive director of the Missouri FFA Foundation says, “The Missouri FFA Foundation is proud to partner with Nationwide to establish the inaugural Golden Owl Award program in Missouri. Agriculture is one of Missouri’s top industries. Our agriculture education teachers are outstanding at preparing our students to be the workforce that drives that industry. Missouri agriculture education is consistently recognized as one of the top in the country and our teachers are a primary reason for that distinction. Education is a demanding field. One of the objectives of the Missouri FFA Foundation is to find ways to support and honor our teachers. The Golden Owl Award program is one way to achieve that objective.”
Nationwide Insurance established the Golden Owl Award to recognize the contributions of agriculture teachers and thank them for their continued educational efforts.
The Missouri FFA Foundation secures strategic partnerships and financial resources to enhance, strengthen and support the educational opportunities that promote premier leadership, personal growth and career success for Missourians in Agricultural Education.
For more information, visit www.missouriffa.org/foundation.
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