CTE educators named finalists for North Carolina award

Photo courtesy of NCCAT

From their headquarters in Cullowhee, the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching (NCCAT) has announced the finalists for their 2026 Burroughs Wellcome Fund North Carolina Career and Technical Teacher of the Year Award. The winner will be announced at a ceremony on Dec. 4, 2025 in Greensboro.

NCCAT worked in partnership with the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (DPI) and the North Carolina Association for Career Technical Education (NCACTE) to develop the CTE teacher of the year award “to honor outstanding CTE educators, promote teacher leadership, and elevate the importance of CTE in North Carolina public schools,” according to a press release.

The award is designed to honor CTE educators across the state for their work as outstanding educators and leaders. In addition to the honor, the finalists will also participate in a week of professional development at the Truist Leadership Institute in Greensboro from Dec. 1-5, 2025. The professional development program is designed to facilitate and encourage the growth of the finalists, the release said.

“These CTE teachers represent the outstanding CTE programs across the state,” John Kirkman, the executive director of NCACTE, said in a press release. “They provide innovative opportunities for students to prepare and engage their career interests while supporting their communities. These finalists are building tomorrow’s leaders today.”

The signature sponsor for this year’s award is the Burroughs Wellcome Fund. In a press release, the chief diversity officer at the fund, Alfred Mays, said that career and technical education is a “cornerstone of opportunity” and that these finalists show the “best of what’s possible when educators are empowered and encouraged to lead with purpose, creativity, and care.”

“These finalists exemplify the dedication and innovation that are vital to career and technical education in North Carolina,” said NCCAT executive director M. Brock Womble. “Their commitment to inspiring students and advancing their skills highlights the promise of our education system’s future. NCCAT is honored to recognize and support these exceptional teachers as leaders who shape the workforce and communities of tomorrow.”

The winner of the award will receive a $5,000 cash prize, participation in the national ACTE conference, instructional supply funds for the teacher’s school, and a three-year membership to the NCACTE, according to the release

The runner-up will receive a $2,000 cash prize and a three-year membership in NCACTE. All finalists will have their travel expenses covered for the professional development week in December and a one-year membership to NCACTE, the release said.