Appalachian State University’s Reich College of Education (RCOE) and Watauga County Schools (WCS) received a $7,500 gift from the Sun Belt Conference as part of the College Football Playoff (CFP) Foundation’s Extra Yard for Teachers (EYFT) Week initiative.
The gift funded a project titled First Teach: Appalachian State University and Watauga County Schools’ Teacher Cadet Program, a partnership focused on building and supporting future educators.
“Preparing and supporting the next generation of educators is at the core of who we are,” said Dr. Hannah Reeder, assistant dean of the Reich College of Education. “Through our partnership with WCS, we are not only building strong relationships with local schools, but we are also creating pathways for talented young people to enter the profession.”
“This program is an example of what happens when universities and school districts invest in the future together,” she added.
College Football Goes the Extra Yard for Teachers
EYFT Week, held September 13-20, 2025, was an eight-day celebration of educators across the country, supported by the CFP Foundation and its partners. The CFP Foundations established EYFT Week in 2015 to provide universities, coaches, and student-athletes with an opportunity to participate in its mission to elevate the teaching profession through inspiring and empowering educators.
The CFP Foundation provided the Sun Belt Conference with funds to support teacher-centric education initiatives in conjunction with conference activities at member institutions. Institutions had the opportunity to receive up to $7,500 to implement projects in their local communities that incorporated one or more of the EYFT Program’s pillars: resources, recognition, recruitment, and professional development.
In addition, each institution was asked to designate a home game during EYFT Week to recognize the teachers associated with the initiative during an on-field presentation. App State selected November 6, 2025, as the Education Day game.
Game Day Celebration
The WCS Teachers and the Principal of the Year were invited to the November 6 App State home football game against Georgia Southern University.
Those who were recognized were:
- Anne Sukow ’00 ’19 – Bethel School Teacher of the Year
- Kim Henderson ’21 – Cove Creek School Teacher of the Year
- Jennie Weschler ’21 – Green Valley School Teacher of the Year
- Betsy Krause ’05 ’11 – Hardin Park School Teacher of the Year
- Kathy Abi Haydar ’17 – Mabel School Teacher of the Year
- Megan Laws ’18 ’19 – Parkway School Teacher of the Year
- Gina Holste ’05 ’10 – Valle Crucis School Teacher of the Year and WCS Teacher of the Year
- Sarah Miller ’07 – Watauga High School Teacher of the Year
- Hester Claire Linville ’23 – Rookie Teacher of the Year
- Ricky Ward ’06 – Principal of the Year
During the game, they were recognized on the field for their achievements and as Extra Yard for Teachers participating partners.
About the Teacher Cadet Program
App State was founded as a teachers’ college in 1899, and these educational roots remain an integral part of the university’s identity. Today, the RCOE is first for teaching — first to lead and listen, first to inspire and innovate — ensuring that our graduates are prepared to be leaders in the field of education.
Through its Public School Partnership (PSP), the college works diligently to develop and sustain relationships with local school districts to support the growth of the teacher pipeline through initiatives such as the Teacher Cadet Program. This program provides its high school cadets with a project-based and practicum-centered curriculum that exposes students to the wonderful realities of teaching at an early age. WCS is one such dedicated partner.
The goal of this initiative is that once students have graduated from college, they will return to their home school district and teach in their own rural areas of the state. With the additional funding provided by the Extra Yard for Teachers Grant, App State will be partnering with these regional classrooms during the school year in a variety of ways:
- Sending Teacher Cadets to a North Carolina Teacher Cadet Conference,
- Co-hosting a “Future Educators Day” on the App State Campus with Watauga County Schools and other Partnership school districts,
- Developing education-related projects, and
- Providing coaching for beginning teachers at Watauga County Schools.
On field presentation of check.
