AFA Connect
AFA Teacher of the Year: awards and nomination path
The Air & Space Forces Association recognizes STEM educators through Chapter, State, and National Teacher of the Year awards. The steps differ by level; use AFA's current rules for a nomination.
How nominations move through AFA
- Chapter: A local AFA Chapter selects a K–12 educator. AFA lists an April 30 submission deadline.
- State: State recognition is for a current Chapter Teacher of the Year. AFA also lists April 30 for State submissions.
- National: AFA State leaders submit eligible prior State winners. AFA lists June 30 as the National nomination deadline.
Find a local Chapter to ask about its selection process; follow the official guidelines and application for exact requirements.
2026 national honorees
AFA names Lisa Werner as its 2026 Thompson-Mallett National Teacher of the Year, Tony Frazier as second place, and Thomas Sando as third place. Read their work and the current awards on AFA's program page.
Past Teacher of the Year recipients
AFA keeps separate historical lists for National, State, and Chapter honorees. Its National archive lists David Tyrel “Ty” White for 2024, William “Bill” McInnish for 2023, and Nancy Parra-Quinlan for 2022. Those archive pages are historical records; the current program page is the source for the latest awards and nomination rules. AFA’s 2024 profile of Ty White describes his Willcox High School chemistry teaching, rural STEM projects, and collaboration with educators and community partners; AFA’s local account also names Cochise Chapter 107. Its 2024 runner-up profile of Ken Robinson describes his engineering and IT teaching at Kaiserslautern High School and the nomination by Ramstein Chapter 507. These are accounts of the 2024 awards, not verification of anyone’s present job or Chapter office.
Other educator support
Teachers seeking project funding can compare AFA education grants. Students and military families can explore the scholarship finder. For cyber and space design activities, visit CyberPatriot and StellarXplorers.
Sources and review date
Reviewed October 13, 2026 against AFA's official program page, its linked recipient archives, and the official 2024 White and Robinson profiles. Local and national deadlines or criteria may change.