STRATEGIC Plan  2025-2028

YAM

Future Desired State: 

• Our organization will have a sustainable funding source and new sponsorship.

• 50% of our members actively participate in the flag contest.

• We will provide transparency about the judging process.

• We will ensure the flag is displayed at the Wyoming state capitol, or at the Wyoming State Museum during March and/or when the Governor signs his proclamation, have the flags there.

• We will make two flags, one for the association, and one for the school to keep. 

Current State: 

• Only a handful of teachers currently participate in the flag contest.

• In 2025 we made 2 flags, one for the winning students' school and a small one for the student. 

• Flags aren’t displayed after being displayed at the school. 

• We have recognized teachers who participated at the awards ceremony at the conference and had the judges attend the award ceremony. 

Action Steps: 

• We will create a poster announcement of previous winners for distribution to teachers and include a QR code. 

• We will include YAM dates on all “save the date” type postcards. 

AWARDS

Future Desired State: 

• Our organization will award every single level every year. 

• Teachers from all over the state will be recognized. 

• We will expand geographical reach. 

• We will identify a sustainable source of funding. 

Current State: 

• 4 awards were given in 2025 and 9 in  2024. 

• These awards were mostly teachers from central and southeastern regions.

Actions Steps: 

• We will send award nominations form in May to the educators, principals, and superintendents in the state. 

• We will send the newsletter through the Wyoming Dept. of Ed. in addition to email and social media platforms.

• We post reminders once monthly.  

• We will seek grants for research to find and survey Wyoming art educators-museum, K-12, alternative, etc. 

CONFERENCE/WORKSHOPS

Future Desired State: 

• We will have one workshop that is offered outside of our conference every year. 

• We will move the annual spring conference around the state. 

• We will seek higher attendance at the spring conference. 

• We will continue to offer a free spring conference with graduate credit available for attendees. 

• We will seek sponsorships to support expenses. 

• We will seek to include more vendors. 

• We will design event items that attendees can purchase through a company and choose what they want: long sleeve T, short sleeve, etc. 

• We will plan more social time during each event. 

• We will create name tags to include place and job description. 

• Name tags for Board Members and past presidents will be permanent, plastic name tags.

• We will spend more time celebrating YAM and educator awards. 

• We will pay presenters.

Current State: 

• In 2025, we had no workshops outside of the conference and the conference was free.

• We paid presenters $50.00. We had around 50 attendees. 

• We had a successful 2 days of workshops during the conference in 2025. 

Action Steps: 

• For the YAM award, allow teachers to record their students. 

• For the Awards, we will have video presentations of winners. 

• We will reach out to artists and places around the state for workshops. 

• We will immediately reach out for vendors. 

• We will reach out to UW or Adams State University for grad credit.

• We will order the nametags for past-presidents and board members. 

• Once a theme is decided, we will design a graphic for swag. 

• We will immediately start asking for sponsorships. 

• We will schedule intentional social time. 

• We will get out the conference schedule ASAP. 

MEMBERSHIP

Future Desired State: 

• We need to increase membership by 50%

Current State: 

• We currently have 34 members as of September 13, 2025

Action Steps: 

• We will send postcards to all schools, addressed to “art teacher” with reasons to join and a QR code.

• We will send postcards to alert when membership lapses.

• We will send “Thank you” cards for joining/renewing NAEA/WyAEA.

• We will research how to find all art teachers in the state.

ED&I

Future Desired State: 

• We need resources available on our website for art educators to include: artists, lesson plans, books, movies, videos, speakers, etc.  

• We will seek diverse keynote speakers and workshop presenters. 

• We will seek diverse representation on the WyAEA Board. 

• Diversity statement on our website.

Current State: 

• We include pronouns on our signatures on our WyAEA emails.   

Action Steps: 

• Create the statement and put it on the website. 

• Reference the NAEA statement or summarize it. 

• Create the resource list. 

• Continue to personally invite keynote speakers and workshop presenters. 

• Personally invite people of diversity for our board.

BOARD RECRUITMENT

Future Desired State: 

• All board positions are filled and maintained through a pipeline of leaders. 

Current State: 

• We have 11 positions filled as of September 13, 2025. 

• We have one vacancy on the Executive Board. 

Action Steps: 

• Every current Board member personally invites at least one person to a meeting/ to join the board. 

• We will have a session at our Spring conference around “How to get involved with WYAEA” or “How to discover your leadership.”

• Board members personally invite people to attend the conference.