Elgin agriculture teacher awarded outstanding teacher award
By Garrett Christensen on Tuesday, June 25th, 2024 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News
ELGIN – (Release from the Elgin School District) Elgin High School Agriculture Teacher Daniel Bolen was awarded the Oregon Agriculture Teachers’ Association Outstanding Teacher Award at their 103rd Annual Awards Banquet Thursday night at the Knife River Training Center in Albany.
Bolen, who has been teaching agriculture for 17 years, with the last 10 years at Elgin High School, has made strides to grow the agriculture program and FFA at Elgin High School. He has raised nearly one million dollars in grant funds to expand facilities, develop programs, and add new equipment to the agriculture program. Elgin’s agriculture program has over doubled student enrollment and FFA membership in Bolen’s 10 years. Bolen is working with district administration to develop an Agricultural Learning Center that will include an animal teaching facility and clubhouse a few minutes from the high school.
In a letter of support for Bolen’s award, Elgin High School principal Dawn Guentert stated, “If I had to describe Daniel using only 5 adjectives, they would be gentle, mindful, consistent, hard-working, and kind-hearted. Daniel expects the best from those around him, but expects even more from himself.” Guentert continues, “He is always pursuing new opportunities for the betterment of others and to provide his students with the best possible education.”
As the Oregon recipient of the Outstanding Agriculture Teacher Award, Bolen will now represent Oregon to compete for the National Association of Agricultural Educators (NAAE) Region 1 Outstanding Agriculture Teacher Award in the spring of 2025.
