Eastern View High School Shows FFA Week Spirit
Every FFA chapter is unique, whether that be the way meetings are run, how competitions are practiced for, or how Supervised Agricultural Experiences (SAEs) are recorded and maintained. A staple for every FFA chapter across the country, however, is National FFA Week.
Eastern View FFA in Virginia strives to have each of our members understand the importance of FFA and the ways they can give their support. Throughout FFA Week, we give our chapter opportunities to further its knowledge of agriculture and leadership, while also making it a fun, interactive experience that expresses our dedication to FFA.
Eastern View FFA members celebrate FFA Week by completing a leadership workshop with Virginia state officers.
Connecting Agriculture to the Community
FFA Week is important to our schools, but also to our community. Eastern View FFA is constantly looking for ways to educate the public about agriculture, and FFA Week is the perfect time to do that.
A new activity for Eastern View FFA is the Root of Our Food 5th Grade Ag Day for our local elementary school, A.G. Richardson. This activity was planned alongside the Culpeper 4-H club to teach kids about the importance of knowing where their food comes from through six diversified stations. These stations cover agricultural practices, such as safely transporting eggs, identifying the correct soil for different types of plants, and even the various animal by-products we use in everyday life. These hands-on activities also teach healthy lifestyles and agricultural awareness.
Bringing FFA Spirit to Schools
While Eastern View FFA loves to work with the community, the best way to get people involved in agriculture is in our very own school. FFA Week is typically only for FFA members, but at Eastern View High School, the goal is to get everyone excited about FFA Week by having school-wide spirit days, such as Stationed by the Flag (patriotic wear), Western Wednesday, etc. These activities get not only students, but also staff, interested in agriculture.
Eastern View FFA members participate in western-themed spirit day.
Building Connections
The connection between students and their teachers is vital because without building that relationship, it can be difficult for students to be encouraged to join and participate in FFA. An innovative way Eastern View FFA motivates their students to forge these connections with its staff is during FFA Week. A scavenger hunt is held, in which 20 teachers give a hint to students about their involvement in agriculture, and the goal for students is to match up the hints to the correct teacher by asking questions before and after school. This activity helps students learn more about their teachers and shows them that even though most of the staff are not agriculture teachers, they have connections to agriculture through everyday life.
Inspiring the Future of Ag
Eastern View FFA wants students to understand that they truly are the future of agriculture, and FFA hopes to inspire the next generation of future agricultural leaders. Happy FFA Week!
