Local agriculture teacher wins award
After four years as an agriculture teacher, Gila Ridge High School Agriculture Teacher Dani Duran was awarded the Arizona Agriculture Teachers Association (AATA) Outstanding Young Member of the year for 2018.
During her time as an agriculture teacher, Duran has had five teams compete at the Future Farmers of America Nationals and will take a sixth group in October, the YUHSD news release shows.
After her first full year in the program, Gila Ridge was also awarded the 2016 Single Teacher Program of the year.
“I am very honored to have been selected for this award and hope to keep building the Gila Ridge Agriculture Program with my teaching partner and other FFA Advisor Shelby Stoner,” Duran said in a statement.
A YUHSD release shows that the AATA Member Services Chair Awards selection committee included agriculture teachers, University of Arizona staff and the Arizona Department of Education.
YUHSD officials say that applications were selected using the AATA award selection process based on the following factors: membership in professional organizations, program and professional improvement, completion of state forms and letters of recommendation from administrators.
According to AATA, the qualifications for the award were as follows: • Current AATA Member • Taught Agricultural Education for three years, but not more than 5 years of teaching are eligible to apply for this award; members who are currently in their sixth year of teaching are eligible to apply (in-state or out-of-state).
• Be an active member of an AATA committee.
• Attend at least 2 of the following AATA Events (during application year): Summer Ag Tours, Summer Conference (prior year), State MidWinter Business Meeting, Fall Conference, Peoria Mini Camp Business Meeting or SLC Dinner Meeting.
• Attend/participate in at least 2 District & State FFA events during application year.