Teacher Leader Community
Interested in taking your science knowledge and teaching skills to the next level? Join an elite group of educators from across the country!
The Nourish the Future national leadership experience is a year-long cohort program designed for middle and high school science teachers who want to advance their expertise in the classroom, increase their influence as teacher leaders/mentors, and enhance professional development presentation skills—all while exploring solutions to real-world problems and the connection between science content/skills and potential careers.Program objectives and competencies
- Enhance your professional development capacities to fit diverse audiences and venues
- Become skilled in inquiry based lesson design
- Become a leader in exploring solutions with your students on issues affecting sustainability, climate, environment, food production
- Expand your professional network to include teachers and industry experts from different states
- Become a career coach for your students
The leadership experience begins in March 2025 with a virtual celebration and introduction to the Nourish the Future program. You will participate in these growth experiences:
- Travel to and attend the Nourish the Future Community Conference held in St. Louis, Missouri on June 11–14, 2025, and Nourish the Future Community Conference in San Antonio, Texas on February 26–28, 2026. (A stipend provided by National Corn Growers Association is provided to offset travel and hotel accommodations; however, any additional costs incurred are the responsibility of the participant and/or their school.)
- Attend at least four out of five virtual leadership meetings 90 minutes in length (schedule TBD). These sessions will include information on modern agriculture, leadership development, and science-focused pedagogy for your classroom.
- We’ll provide mentoring and guidance to help you complete at least one presentation in your home state for science teachers (teacher workshop, district/state science conference, etc.).
Outcomes
- Up to 55 hours of seat time / 5.5 CEUs, or 4 hours of Ashland University graduate credit (priced at $185 per hour)
- Certification as a Nourish the Future Teacher Leader
- Ongoing participation in national leadership training as part of the Nourish the Future Teacher Leader Community
- Access to teacher resources, tool-kits, and mini-grants