Judge & State Director Certification | National High School BBQ Association® (NHSBBQA®)

Judge & State Director Certification

Last Updated: 12-17-2025

The National High School BBQ Association (NHSBBQA®) maintains a formal Judge & State Director Certification program to ensure that all sanctioned events are conducted with educational integrity, student safety, and national consistency.

Certification is required for individuals serving in leadership, oversight, or evaluative roles within NHSBBQA®-sanctioned middle school and high school events.

Why Certification Matters

NHSBBQA® programs operate inside schools, districts, and youth-focused environments. Certification ensures that adults entrusted with leadership and judging responsibilities:

• Understand the educational mission of NHSBBQA®

• Apply standards-based, age-appropriate evaluation

• Maintain student safety and supervision expectations

• Protect schools, sponsors, and partners

• Represent NHSBBQA® with professionalism and integrity

Certification is not honorary. It is a responsibility-based credential.

Certified Educational Judges (CEJ)

Certified Educational Judges (CEJ) are authorized to evaluate student work at NHSBBQA®-sanctioned events using nationally defined standards.

CEJ Certification Includes:

• Educational judging methodology

• Student-centered feedback principles

• Safety, conduct, and supervision standards

• Conflict-of-interest awareness

• Event professionalism expectations

Certified judges evaluate learning, technique, process, and presentation — not personal preference or adult competition norms.

Judges may only participate in NHSBBQA® events after certification is completed and verified.

State Director Certification

State Directors serve as the primary leadership and oversight authority for NHSBBQA® programs within a chartered state association.

State Director Responsibilities Include:

• Implementing national standards at the state level

• Supporting schools and districts

• Overseeing regional and state events

• Ensuring compliance with safety and certification requirements

• Serving as the liaison between schools and NHSBBQA® national leadership

State Directors operate under national governance, not independently.

Certification Standards & Accountability

All certifications issued by NHSBBQA® are:

• Role-specific and non-transferable

• Issued for educational service, not status

• Subject to ongoing compliance review

• Revocable if standards are not upheld

NHSBBQA® maintains a national credential registry for all certified judges and state directors.

What Certification Is — and Is Not

Certification IS:

• A requirement for participation in NHSBBQA®-sanctioned roles

• A safeguard for students, schools, and districts

• A commitment to educational standards and conduct

Certification IS NOT:

• A personal endorsement or license

• A qualification for adult competitions

• A substitute for district or school policies

Getting Certified

Certification pathways are available for:

• Judges

• State Directors

• Educator leaders and program coordinators

Certification requirements, training modules, and acknowledgments are provided through NHSBBQA®’s official onboarding and training platforms.

Learn More & Apply

• [Judge Certification Overview]

• [State Director Certification Overview]

• [National Authority & Educational Sanctioning]

• [School & District Verification Process]

We are working towards making certification required for judges and state directors participating in NHSBBQA®-sanctioned events.

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