NACTA Newsletter - March 2026
Thursday, March 19, 2026
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Posted by: NACTA
March 2026 NACTA President Liz Karcher's Message
#NACTA26 Conference
NACTA 2026 Webinar Series Session 2
NACTA Journal Updates
New NACTA Members
Renew Your NACTA Membership 
NACTA Roundup with President Elizabeth Karcher
As educators, we have the privilege of continually growing alongside our students. Each semester offers an opportunity to pause and reflect on what is working in our teaching, where we can innovate, and how we can better support student learning. Before this semester ends, I encourage each of you to challenge yourself to try a new strategy, revisit a familiar approach with fresh perspective, or engage with colleagues about the ideas that inspire your teaching. By sharing our experiences, our successes, and even our challenges, we strengthen not only our own practice, but also the vibrant community of educators who are passionate about teaching and learning. Together, our shared curiosity and commitment will continue to shape meaningful learning experiences and deepen the impact we have on the students we serve. Thank you,
Liz Karcher
NACTA President Top ↑ 
#NACTA26 Conference! Are You Registered Yet?
Registration for the NACTA 2026 Conference, June 22-25, 2026, at Mississippi State University in Starkville, Mississippi, USA is OPEN! The Annual Conference of the North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture (NACTA) offers many opportunities for education and networking and brings agricultural education across the continuum together. This conference offers workshops, poster and oral presentations, Keynote and Blue Ribbon presentations, and many networking opportunities each day. At this annual conference of NACTA, you will be able to connect with and learn from others who share the same passion for the improvement of teaching and learning agriculture, food and natural resources. The Annual NACTA Conference will provide you with new teaching techniques, ideas and resources. It is also one of the best professional development activities for networking with other teaching professionals where the common discipline is "teaching." This year, Dr. Michel Wattiaux, of the University of Wisconsin - Madison, will be the Blue Ribbon Speaker and Dr. Mark Keenum, of Mississippi State University, will be the Keynote Speaker. To read more about Dr. Michel Wattiaux, click here. To read more about Dr. Mark Keenum, click here. For more information and to register, visit the NACTA 2026 Conference website. The Early Bird Deadline to register for #NACTA26 is April 25, 2026. Keep an eye on your inbox for more information about the Blue Ribbon and Keynote presentations, as well as features on other workshops and conference activities! Top ↑
NACTA 2026 Webinar Series - Session 2Join us as we continue the NACTA 2026 Webinar Series for its second session on Wednesday, April 8, 2026! Session 2 - April 8, 2026, 11:00 AM EDT Beyond the Trip: Pairing Research with Experiential Learning Abroad Presented by: Jeneen Fields, of Purdue University, Daniel Foster and Liz Karcher, of Penn State University, Lacey Roberts-Hill, of Texas Tech University, Shweta Trivedi, of North Carolina State University, and Curtis Youngs, of Iowa State University. What are the best strategies for developing and carrying out research that makes use of a study abroad experience? Are you looking to add a research opportunity to your experiential learning event? Collecting data and capturing outcomes can not only lend to the literature but also help inform better practices for subsequent experiences! Join us for a panel and workshop with six faculty members who will share their best practices in pairing research with experiential learning. The fourth webinar brings the series full circle by demonstrating how experiential learning particularly global experiences can be intentionally paired with research, assessment, and scholarly outcomes. This session helps faculty translate experiences into evidence of learning, student inquiry, and SoTL outputs. Designed takeaway: How to document, assess, and extend experiential learning for student impact, grants, and promotion and tenure. Attendees will be able to: 1. Establish a set of questions that can influence research on a stud abroad trip 2. Access relevant literature that articulates methods for high impact study abroad research 3. Compose a proposal for research to complement the outcomes of a study abroad trip. Webinar session 3 will be the same as the second session and will take place at 11:00 AM EDT Wednesday, May 13, 2026. Session 4, titled "Game-Based Experiential Learning for Agriculture: Practical Strategies You Can Use Tomorrow," will take place at 11:00 AM EDT Wednesday, May 27, 2026. Keep an eye on your inbox for more information about each of these sessions and how to join! Top ↑
NACTA Journal Updates Founded in 1963, The NACTA Journal is a professional refereed journal published by the North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture (NACTA). It is directed toward the scholarship of teaching and learning and the professional advancement of the teaching of agriculture and related disciplines. The NACTA Journal presents papers on all aspects of teaching, including methods, problems, philosophy, and rewards. The Journal offers something for every teacher in agriculture or a related discipline. Whether traditional classroom or extension-related, its primary purpose is to strengthen professional competence in college and adult teaching. February 2026: - 91 Submissions Received
- 48 Published
For more information on the NACTA Journal, and to submit a manuscript or teaching tip, click here. Top ↑ 
New NACTA MembersNACTA has 7 new members since our last newsletter. We hope you will join us in welcoming them! Central
Anne-Marie Dzinoreva, IA
Elisa Mai, KS
Grant Grebner, IL
Blanca Isabel Gallegos, KS Southern
Rustie Robison, SC
Sathish Samiappan, TN Eastern
Kathryn Orvis, IN Top ↑ 
Renew Your NACTA MembershipNACTA is the largest professional development organization that focuses specifically on the scholarship of teaching and learning in agriculture, food and natural resources. Need to renew your membership? Want to invite a colleague to join? Want to change your membership status? Visit the membership page here. We appreciate your NACTA membership! Top ↑ |
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