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Heidi Gant
317-692-7828
317-966-3719
hgant@infb.org

(Indianapolis) – Aug. 15, 2022 – Leigh Anne Eck, a sixth-grade teacher from George Rogers Clark Middle School in Vincennes, Indiana, received the 2022-2023 Indiana Rural Teacher of the Year Award, presented by Indiana Small and Rural Schools Association and Indiana Farm Bureau.

The Indiana Rural Teacher of the Year Award is given to a current teacher who collaborates with the rural community to provide lifelong learning opportunities, leads in the educational community, and leaves a lasting impact on their students.

Eck, who was nominated by her building principal and fellow teachers, got her start in teaching later in life after being a stay-at-home mom and helping in her children’s classrooms.

“Teaching was never something I set out to do, but it became something I truly love,” Eck said. “I started helping in the first-grade classroom where kids came in as five-year-olds and left as readers. And for me, that was magic. So, I decided to go back to school to become a teacher.”

Now, 15 years into her profession in education, she is teaching middle school English language arts and reading, where her passion truly lies.

“I always enjoyed reading and writing,” Eck said. “When I had the opportunity to share that passion, I knew that’s what I wanted to do and where I wanted to be. So, I will be adding some new titles to my classroom library with my prize money.”

INFB is a proud sponsor of the Indiana Rural Teacher of the Year Award and provides a $1,000 prize to the recipient.

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About Indiana Farm Bureau: For more than 100 years, Indiana Farm Bureau (INFB) has promoted agriculture in Indiana through public education, member engagement, and by advocating for agricultural and rural needs. As the state’s largest general farm organization, INFB works diligently to ensure a farmer’s right to farm—protecting the livelihood, land, equipment, animals and crops of Hoosier farmers—because agriculture is vital to Indiana’s economy. Learn more at INFB.org