McLean County teacher, Amanda Stanko, has earned accolades as a 2024 National Excellence in Teaching About Agriculture Award winner.

Stanko teachers Science, Technology, Engineering and Math at Corpus Christi Catholic School in Bloomington to more than 275 Kindergarten – 6th grade students.

She makes use of project-based lessons on a wide range of topics including plant lifecycles, soil, composting and more.

Her passion for teaching about agriculture has led her to enroll in a Master of Agricultural
Education program with the hope of establishing an FFA chapter at her school in the future.

Stanko will be recognized at the 2024 National Agriculture in the Classroom Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah. She was also honored as the Illinois Ag in the Classroom Teacher of the Year at the Illinois Farm Bureau Annual Meeting in December 2023.

Video from IL ATIC Teacher of the Year Announcement