By Shelby Shank
Field Editor

Agricultural science teachers with one to five years of classroom experience can register for the 2026 Early Ag Teacher Professional Development offered by Texas Farm Bureau (TFB).

The three-day workshop, set for May 31 to June 2 in Waco, is designed specifically for early-career ag teachers and will offer hands-on instruction in one of two focus tracks: agricultural mechanics or floral design.  Participants must select and register for one track when signing up.

“Texas Farm Bureau believes in investing in ag teachers, and feedback from past years supports the need to focus this year’s content on agricultural mechanics and floral design as these are growing ag science courses that play a vital role in shaping the future of our youth,” said Jordan Bartels, associate director of Organization Division, Education and Outreach. “This workshop provides an opportunity for ag teachers early in their career to focus on key topics that matter to both them and their students.”

Each track will feature targeted classroom and laboratory instruction, along with presentations from education experts who specialize in agricultural science education. Site visits related to each focus area are also included.

“This professional development opportunity is designed to directly address how to facilitate the three-circle model approach, which includes classroom instruction, FFA and SAEs,” Bartels said.

The program will include site visits, such as trips to Texas State Technical College for agricultural mechanics educators and visits to local floral operations for floral design teachers.

In addition to the hands-on training, ag teachers will take home free resources and build connections with other early-career ag educators and industry professionals.

Registration closes May 4. The workshop is limited to 40 teachers per track. Click here to register.

For more information, visit texasfarmbureau.org/aitc or contact TFB’s Education team at 254-751-2258 or edoutreach@txfb.org.

Additional information on other educational opportunities and resources can be found at texasfarmbureau.org/aitc.