National Authority & Educational Sanctioning |

National High School BBQ Association® (NHSBBQA®)

National Authority & Educational Sanctioning

Last Updated: 12-17-2025

The National High School BBQ Association (NHSBBQA®) serves as the national educational authority and sanctioning body for school-based barbecue and live-fire cooking programs in the United States.

NHSBBQA® exists to ensure that barbecue, grilling, and live-fire cooking are delivered to students as a safe, structured, and standards-aligned educational experience, not as an adult entertainment or luxury competition model.

Our Role as a National Authority

NHSBBQA® provides national governance, standards, and oversight for middle school and high school barbecue programs operating within public and private school systems.

Our authority includes:

• Establishing educational standards and competition frameworks

• Sanctioning school-based, educator-led events

• Maintaining student safety, supervision, and age-appropriate conduct

• Issuing credentials and certifications for judges, educators, and state directors

• Verifying district and school eligibility

• Protecting the integrity of Career & Technical Education (CTE) outcomes

Educational First. Always.

NHSBBQA® is fundamentally different from adult barbecue competitions, food festivals, or entertainment-driven food sports.

Our programs are:

• ✔ School-based and educator-supervised

• ✔ CTE-aligned and instruction-driven

• ✔ Student-centered, not prize-driven

• ✔ Designed for learning, leadership, and growth

• ✔ Alcohol-free and youth-appropriate

• ✔ Accountable to schools, districts, and families

Winning matters — but learning matters more.

Sanctioning with Purpose

NHSBBQA® sanctions events only when they meet clearly defined educational and safety standards.

Sanctioned events must demonstrate:

• Verified school or district participation

• Adult supervision and educator leadership

• Published safety protocols

• Standards-based judging and evaluation

• Alignment with NHSBBQA® educational objectives

Sanctioning is not automatic. It is earned, maintained, and reviewable.

National Structure, Local Impact

Through a network of chartered State High School BBQ Associations, NHSBBQA® ensures consistent national standards while supporting local schools and communities.

Each chartered state operates under:

• National governance and policies

• Uniform safety and judging standards

• Credentialed leadership

• Ongoing compliance review

This structure allows NHSBBQA® to scale nationally without sacrificing educational integrity.

Credentialing & Accountability

NHSBBQA® maintains a national registry for:

• Certified Educational Judges (CEJ)

• State Directors

• Educator leaders and program coordinators

Credentials are issued for educational service, not personal status, and may be reviewed, suspended, or revoked if standards are not upheld.

Our Commitment

NHSBBQA® is committed to building America’s CTE Food Sport in a way that:

• Honors the traditions of barbecue

• Respects the role of educators and schools

• Protects students and families

• Supports sponsors responsibly

• Creates pathways from middle school to high school, college, and careers

We do not compete with adult barbecue organizations.
We serve a different mission, a different audience, and a different future.

Learn More

• [Authority & Governance Framework]

• [Educational Sanctioning Standards]

• [School & District Verification Process]

• [Certification Students, Teachers, Judges, and Staff] 

• National Authority & Educational Sanctioning Statement
  

NHSBBQA® is an educational sanctioning body for school-based programs.
Adult competitions, festivals, and entertainment events operate independently and are not governed by NHSBBQA®.