North Carolina Teacher Taylor Dougherty Honored for Agricultural Education Efforts
Taylor Dougherty, a first-grade teacher at Eastern Elementary School in Greenville, North Carolina, has been recognized with the 2026 Ag in the Classroom Award. This accolade honors her innovative approach to integrating agricultural education into her curriculum. Dougherty emphasizes the importance of understanding agriculture, especially for students who may not have direct exposure to farming. Her lessons focus on the roles and responsibilities of farmers, aiming to demystify the process of food production. By partnering with 4-H, Dougherty provides her students with hands-on experiences, such as creating habitats for animals after conducting research. As part of her award, she will attend the National Ag in the Classroom Conference in Providence, Rhode Island.