Strategic Partnerships & Pathways | National High School BBQ Association® (NHSBBQA®)

 Strategic Partnerships & Pathways

• The National High School BBQ Association (NHSBBQA®) works with a select group of education-first, mission-aligned partners who support student pathways from school to college, careers, and industry.

  These are not sponsors.
  These are outcome partners.

  Our partnerships are designed to extend learning beyond the classroom while protecting students, schools, and the integrity of our educational mission.

  Partners in Education. Pathways to the Future.

  NHSBBQA® partnerships exist to answer one simple question:

  What comes next for students after school-based learning? College? Career? Industry? Work? Family? Tailgating? LIFE?

  Each partnership category represents a destination beyond NHSBBQA®, while NHSBBQA® remains the origin point—where students learn safety, responsibility, industry equipment, career and life products, and skills through classroom applied learning we call PBL-Project BASTE Learning.

  Partnership Categories

  🎓 Post-Secondary & Pathway Partners

  Where students go next

  These partners help students transition from high school programs into higher education, training, and workforce pathways.

  Partnership titles include:

  • Official Post-Secondary Showcase Partner

  • Official College Pathway Partner

  • Official Technical Education Continuation Partner

  • Official Dual-Credit & Early College Partner

  These partnerships highlight opportunities available to students after NHSBBQA® participation.

  👉 Become a Pathway Partner

  🔥 Live Fire & Skilled Trades Partners

  How students master the craft

  These partners support advanced skill development connected to live fire, barbecue, and hands-on CTE trades.

  Partnership titles include:

  • Official Live-Fire Skills Partner

  • Official Craft & Trade Pathway Partner

  • Official Protein & Meat Sciences Partner

  • Official Food Systems Education Partner

  These partnerships reinforce real-world applications of the skills students learn in school.

  🧠 Education, Credentialing & Safety Partners

  How learning is validated and protected

  These partners strengthen program credibility, safety, and instructional alignment.

  Partnership titles include:

  • Official Student Credentialing Partner

  • Official Safety & Compliance Education Partner

  • Official CTE Alignment Partner

  • Official Educator Professional Development Partner

  These partners help ensure learning outcomes are measurable, defensible, and transferable.

  🏅 Student Recognition & Advancement Partners

  How excellence is rewarded

  These partners support recognition, advancement, and opportunity for students who demonstrate commitment and growth.

  Partnership titles include:

  • Official Student Advancement Partner

  • Official Scholarship Pathway Partner

  • Official Honor Roll Recognition Partner

  • Official National Student Showcase Partner

  These partnerships connect student achievement to tangible next-step opportunities.

  🧱 Legacy & Governance-Level Partners

  Who helped build the system

  These rare, invitation-only partnerships recognize organizations that support the long-term educational mission of NHSBBQA®.

  Partnership titles include:

  • School Board of Barbecue Partner 

  • Founding Pathway Partner

  • National Education Continuity Partner

  • Official Legacy Partner of NHSBBQA®

  Legacy partners are aligned not just with programs, but with governance-level vision.

  What Partnership with NHSBBQA® Is — and Is Not

  Partnership IS

  • Education-first

  • Student-centered

  • Credential-aligned

  • School-safe

  • Outcome-driven

  Partnership IS NOT

  • Event sponsorship

  • Product endorsement

  • Entertainment branding

  • Competitive sanctioning authority

  • Adult competition affiliation

  NHSBBQA® remains the sole educational sanctioning authority for its programs.

  How Partnerships Are Presented

  To maintain clarity and integrity:

  • Partnership titles and purpose come before logos

  • Logos are grouped by category, not prominence

  • No partner logo appears larger than NHSBBQA®

  • Partnership titles describe function, not brand ego

  This ensures students, schools, and districts understand why a partner exists in the ecosystem.

  Become a Partner

  NHSBBQA® partnerships are selective and mission-driven.

  All potential partners complete:

  • An eligibility review

  • A mission-alignment questionnaire

  • A conflict-of-interest screening

  Partnerships are earned, not purchased.

  👉 Apply to Become a Partner

  
  

  NHSBBQA® partnerships support educational pathways and do not confer sanctioning, governance, or competitive authority.