ALLENTOWN – An Allentown High School teacher has been recognized by his peers at a regional level for his work in the agricultural sciences.
Dale Cruzan III, 28, was recently awarded the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) New Teacher of the Year Excellence Award for Region 1.
Cruzan, who completed his fifth year as an educator at AHS in June, 5 said he was honored to have been chosen for the award.
“I have been working really hard to reinvigorate our agricultural sciences program and it shows that it is being recognized at a regional level now,” he said.
According to the ACTE, the annual excellence awards “promote merit in career and technical education (CTE) by recognizing individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to CTE, programs that exemplify the highest standards and organizations that have conducted activities to promote and expand CTE programs.”
Region 1 of the ACTE consists of Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia and the District of Columbia. It also includes the federal vocational educators.
Cruzan was the only teacher from New Jersey to receive a regional award this year.
“It’s exciting because [this award] feels like the hard work really means something to people,” he said.
Cruzan is a national finalist for New Teacher of the Year. Regardless of how he fares at the national level, Cruzan will be honored at the ACTE awards banquet on Nov. 19 in New Orleans.
Officials said Cruzan’s selection was a “testament to [his] dedication, commitment and passion for career and technical education.”
Cruzan estimated that between 35 and 40 high schools in New Jersey offer the study of agricultural sciences.
“Agriculture is more than just the production side. That is a crucial part of what we do, but there are opportunities that are endless in this industry, from the science, business and technology side,” Cruzan said. “People often discount agriculture as an industry of yesteryear, when in reality it is much more.”
In addition to covering the farming aspect of the subject, Cruzan said agricultural sciences applies various aspects of environmental science, biotechnology, greenhouse management and mechanics.
He said one of the primary reasons why his efforts in teaching agricultural science have been so well received at AHS is because of the immediate area’s rural nature.
“Agriculture is really an industry that affects our community. We have a lot of production centers and even scientifically speaking, you have a lot of research happening with Rutgers,” said Cruzan, who is a resident of Burlington County. “That is what I have been trying to do for the last five years here in Allentown – to show students the opportunities.”