NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Douglas Latta of Monroe is one of six individuals nationwide who received the National Association of Agricultural Educators (NAAE) Outstanding Teacher Award on Nov. 18 at the NAAE annual convention in Nashville, Tenn.

According to a press release from NAAE, “Latta has been making learning interesting and meaningful to students since he began teaching at Sun Valley High School in 1996. He works to relate classroom instruction to real-world situations and incorporates core subjects like math into his lessons. He requires all students at Sun Valley to have a supervised agricultural experience (SAE) program that allows them to learn on a job site and to keep financial records.”

“It is important that we provide students the opportunity to learn job skills that will make them successful members of society,” Latta said in the press release.

Latta advises the Sun Valley FFA and makes sure that students are actively involved in the community. Members have conducted canned food and water drives for hurricane victims, assisted in building houses with Habitat for Humanity, and partnered with the high school student council to provide Christmas gifts for needy children. Latta’s partnerships with local businesses are essential to student success, as they have provided plants, wood and metal for his shop classes. His students organize and host Wake Up to Agriculture, a program that promotes agriculture to third-grade students in the local elementary schools.

Latta is always looking for opportunities for professional growth and is active in several organizations. He has received his National Board certification and been recognized as Sun Valley’s Teacher of the Year.

“In the time I have worked with Doug I have seen his hard work and dedication to his students,” Dale Cochran, fellow Sun Valley High School agriculture teacher, said in the release. “He makes tireless efforts to motivate his students to reach their greatest potential.”

Each of the six regional winners received a two-year lease on a Toyota Tundra, an expense-paid trip to the annual convention, dinner in their honor, and a plaque. NAAE is the professional association for agricultural educators. The mission of NAAE is “professionals providing agricultural education for the global community through visionary leadership, advocacy and service.”