NREA Membership Benefits

Benefits to NREA members are many, among them are:

Member Services

  1. Affordable and secure self-funded health insurance for school district employees through the NREA Benefit Trust Fund.

  2. Full service insurance, financial resources, and money management services through Great American Financial Resources, Inc.

  3. NREA: Mentor Me Now® Program for bi-lingual students through Global Information Gateway, Inc.

  4. NREA: HR Solutions On-CallTM Program to assist with personnel decisions through Labor Management Advisory Group.

  5. Over 70 state accredited on line courses of study via Advanced Academics.

  6. Improved classroom instruction through the Barlow and Associates Teacher Appraisal System.

  7. National Rural Education Advocacy Coalition to monitor federal legislation.

  8. NREA Federal Legislation Forum to inform NREA members about federal issues.

  9. NREA Teacher of the Year Program - Sponsored by John Deere.

  10. NREA Mini Grant Program - Sponsored by National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.

  11. NREA CARES Award - Sponsored by Great American Financial Resources, Inc.

  12. NREA Essay Contest - Sponsored by the NREA Foundation.

  13. NREA Research Symposium.

  14. The Annual NREA Convention.

  15. NREA Awards Program, publications, website, and list serve.

  16. “Rural Educator,” a peer reviewed professional publication

  17. www.nrea.net

  18. Comprehensive communications to the membership through the NREA list serve.

The Rural Educator

The official journal of the NREA, a prestigious, nationally recognized publication that features timely and informative articles written by leading rural educators from all levels of education. All NREA members are encouraged to submit research articles and items of general information for publication. An editorial board reviews all submissions. The journal is published in the Fall, Winter, and Spring each year.

Rural Education News - Electronic Newsletter

The official newsletter of the Association. Keeps all members up-to-date on Association activities, events, rural education conferences and meetings, and research projects in progress. Published four times a year. Click here to view the past and current issues of the newsletter.

NREA Annual Convention

All members are encouraged to participate in the Annual Convention of the Association which is held in a different state each year. Members are invited to provide workshops, seminars, research reports, and other major presentations. Convention includes the annual Research Symposium. This is a major in-service and staff development activity for members and non-members. The convention features nationally prominent congressional representatives, state governors, chief state school officers, U.S. Department of Education officials, and speakers from leading national businesses, corporations, and educational associations.

Regional and State Conferences

NREA members are kept informed of national, regional, and state rural education conference and encouraged to participate. These include state meetings held by NREA State Affiliate Associations.

Liasion with Regional Educational Laboratories

NREA coordinates many of its activities with the Regional Education Laboratories rural education program development specialists and coordinators, several of whom are NREA members. Many NREA members serve on regional rural education advisory panels, sub-committees, and task forces.

Participation on Federal Review Panels

NREA members are frequently invited to serve on national and federal education review panels, such as the national secondary and elementary school recognition program, exemplary Chapter I programs, review panels for federally funded programs, and planning committees for Department of Education-sponsored workshops, seminars, and national conference.

Rural Education Research Centers

NREA has established criteria for the identification and endorsement of National Rural Education Research Centers at universities and colleges, and within other agencies, public or private. Some centers have already been established and endorsed for an initial three-year period.

NREA Foundation

The Foundation seeks grants, gifts, and bequests to help fund research, scholarships, and incentives in the field of Rural Education.

Annual NREA Research Symposium

The NREA recognizes outstanding rural education researchers and research projects. At each annual convention, principal investigators present in a workshop-seminar format. Go to the Events page to find information regarding the award offered by the NREA at the NREA Research Symposium.

NREA Standing Committees

NREA members are eligible to serve on NREA committees. Committee members are chosen from the general membership on a volunteer basis.

Delegate Assembly

NREA members represent their various states as official Delegates to the national convention. Each state provides delegates and alternate delegates, who act upon policy matters, pass resolutions, and ratify recommendations on procedures, policies, and bylaws presented by the Executive Committee. 2006 NREA Delegate Assembly Delegates and Alternates.

Peer Contacts

The NREA provides frequent opportunities for rural educators to communicate with each other through its journals, newsletter, regional and national meetings and conventions. It provides a national and international network for sharing common concerns, issues, and current practices in rural education–a valuable and worthwhile benefit that can link you with numerous state, regional, and national entities working on a day-to-day basis for the interests of rural and small schools.

Dinstinguished Service Awards

Each year the Awards and Recognitions Committee presents awards to an outstanding intermediate service agency, an NREA Service Award to an individual for distinguished service, and award for outstanding rural exemplary practice or program. In addition, other awards are presented as deemed appropriate. The NREA Teacher of the Year is a coveted honor sponsored by John Deere. Check out the Events page to learn more about these awards.