A pair of Pender County educators have been selected to receive awards from the North Carolina Art Education Association (NCAEA).
Caitlyn Bachman, Visual Arts Educator at Topsail High School, has been named the NCAEA Secondary Art Educator of the Year for 2024–25.
Lily Buckley, Visual Arts Educator at Heide Trask High School, has been named the NCAEA Preservice Art Educator of the Year for 2024–25. Ms. Buckley completed her student teaching internship last year at Topsail Annandale Elementary and Topsail High School before beginning her first year of teaching at Heide Trask.
Both awardees will be recognized at the NCAEA Annual Professional Development Conference, taking place in Asheboro from October 10–12.
Each year, NCAEA honors educators who demonstrate exceptional dedication to promoting and improving the quality of visual arts education across North Carolina. The awards are highly competitive, with board members noting that many categories were decided by a single vote due to the strength of the nominees.
About NCAEA
The North Carolina Art Education Association’s mission is to promote and improve quality visual arts education throughout the state. The organization focuses on three key areas to accomplish its goals: Leadership, Service, and Organization.