2026

As I begin my term as President of the Technology Education Association of Illinois, I am both honored and excited to serve an organization built on professionalism, innovation, leadership, and the dedication of outstanding educators across Illinois.

TEAI has always been much more than a professional association to me. It is a network of educators who believe in preparing students for the future through hands-on learning, technical skill development, problem solving, creativity, and real-world experiences. The strength of this organization comes from its members — teachers, mentors, industry partners, and leaders who continuously support one another and advocate for the value of technology and engineering education.

One of the greatest advantages of TEAI membership is the relationships that are built through our organization. Friendships formed at conferences, professional development events, and collaborative projects often last entire careers. Whether you are a first-year teacher or a veteran educator, TEAI provides opportunities to connect with professionals who understand the challenges and rewards of our classrooms and labs.

As president, my vision is to continue building a stronger, more connected organization that supports every member at every stage of their career. I want TEAI to be known as the first place educators turn for professional growth, collaboration, mentorship, and instructional resources.

My mission for the coming year focuses on several important priorities:

• Expanding professional development opportunities that provide practical, classroom-ready skills and industry-aligned training.
• Strengthening mentorship connections between experienced educators and new teachers entering the profession.
• Increasing collaboration and networking opportunities among members throughout Illinois.
• Growing access to high-quality lesson plans, unit plans, lab activities, and curriculum resources that members can immediately implement in their classrooms.
• Continuing to advocate for technology and engineering education programs at the local, state, and national levels.
• Increasing membership engagement by ensuring every member sees clear value and professional benefit from being part of TEAI.

Technology education continues to evolve rapidly, and our organization must continue evolving with it. Our classrooms are preparing the next generation of skilled trades professionals, engineers, technicians, manufacturers, programmers, designers, and innovators. TEAI has the opportunity to lead that effort by supporting educators with meaningful resources, industry connections, and professional leadership opportunities.

I encourage every member to become actively involved this year. Attend ITEC conferences this fall, share lesson ideas, mentor a colleague, present at professional development events, and help us continue building a strong future for technology and engineering education in Illinois.

Together, we will continue strengthening TEAI while creating even greater opportunities for our members and the students we serve every day.

Thank you for your continued support, dedication, and commitment to excellence.

Sincerely,

Brad Curry
President
Technology Education Association of Illinois

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TEAI Board Meetings - Anyone who is interested in Tech Ed is invited to join us as a "guest of the board" please contact any board member for more information.