FFA State Leaders

The National Chapter Award Program is designed to recognize FFA chapters that actively implement the mission and strategies of the organization. These chapters improve chapter operations using the National Quality Chapter Standards (NQCS) and a Program of Activities (POA) that emphasize growing leaders, building communities and strengthening agriculture. Chapters are rewarded for providing educational experiences for the entire membership. Chapter Activities Across 673 applications, chapters reported 2,019 activities in each of the three focus areas. Building communities To help local food pantries replenish much-needed items, Scales Mound FFA (IL) created bingo cards filled with those needs and sent groups into the community to collect the items and fill their cards, while also handing out flyers with information about agriculture. Growing leaders Southeastern FFA (OH) members created a Positivity Tree to provide simple, anonymous pick-me-ups in the form of handwritten notes that focused on encouragement, self-worth and positive quotes. Notes were hung as ornaments for students to take as needed. Strengthening agriculture Flanagan-Cornell FFA (IL) decided to create an Active in Agriculture vlog with videos from various [...]

The new coronavirus (COVID-19) became a worldwide pandemic in early 2020, prompting businesses and organizations to close throughout the United States. Perhaps two of the most impacted groups by the closings and limits on social gatherings were teachers and students. When schools closed, many faced the challenge of transitioning to e-learning to finish the school year. Canceled conferences and events also impacted participants. National FFA took the following actions to ensure that the FFA mission was still being delivered to members and teachers in the wake of COVID-19: Educator Resources National FFA recognized the potential difficulty of moving all learning online in a short time. To help ease the burden on agriculture educators, FFA took actions ranging from providing the 2017 National FFA Student Handbook online for free to creating a guide on distance learning. Analytics1 revealed that the 2017 Official FFA Student Handbook (English) was one of the top 10 accessed educator resources in both March and April, along with supervised agricultural experience (SAE) videos, the generic activity worksheet for SAE videos, and SAE choice [...]

Program Overview: Description and Objectives The National Teacher Ambassadors for FFA are a group of agriculture educators currently in the classroom. They are trained to answer questions and provide training related to the various educational resources and experiences the National FFA Organization offers. A group of qualified teachers is selected each Spring to serve in the program from June to June. Additionally, to continue professional development, the program has grown to include mentor National Teacher Ambassadors for FFA. Through this added layer, support and professional development can be amplified to meet the needs of the program. Four Primary Objectives Guide the Program Answer questions from agriculture educators and provide them with training and regular communications related to the various educational resources and experiences National FFA offers. Provide relevant feedback from the educational field to National FFA. Serve as an advocate of the organization to teachers within home states and others across the country. Advance teacher ambassadors’ and other teachers’ professional growth. Teacher Ambassadors Benefit From Professional Growth Opportunities All ambassadors attend an in-person training to learn [...]

Program Description Serving as a National Teacher Ambassador is one of the best parts of my job. I love sharing resources with teachers to help ease the burden of implementing new content in our classrooms. I also love the connections I’ve been able to make with teachers in my state, as well as across the country. Emma Huber, Wisconsin, National Teacher Ambassador for FFA The National Teacher Ambassadors for FFA (teacher ambassadors) is a group of agriculture educators currently in the classroom. They are trained to answer questions and provide training related to the various educational resources and experiences the National FFA Organization offers. A group of qualified teachers is selected each spring and serve in the program from June to June. Four Primary Objectives Guide the Program Answer questions from agriculture educators and provide them with training and regular communications related to the various educational resources and experiences National FFA offers. Provide relevant feedback from the educational field to National FFA. Serve as an advocate of the organization to teachers within home states and others [...]

Program Description Serving as a National Teacher Ambassador is one of the best parts of my job. I love sharing resources with teachers to help ease the burden of implementing new content in our classrooms. I also love the connections I’ve been able to make with teachers in my state, as well as across the country. Emma Huber, Wisconsin, National Teacher Ambassador for FFA The National Teacher Ambassadors for FFA (teacher ambassadors) is a group of agriculture educators currently in the classroom. They are trained to answer questions and provide training related to the various educational resources and experiences the National FFA Organization offers. A group of qualified teachers is selected each spring and serve in the program from June to June. Four Primary Objectives Guide the Program Answer questions from agriculture educators and provide them with training and regular communications related to the various educational resources and experiences National FFA offers. Provide relevant feedback from the educational field to National FFA. Serve as an advocate of the organization to teachers within home states and others [...]

The Next Gen Conferences are a series of career-focused conferences centered around each of the eight Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (AFNR) Career Pathways.1 The most beneficial experience I had at the [Next Gen] conference was the persistent [advice] to do what I love and to find my why. I needed to be pushed to reach my full potential. Next Gen participant (2022) The National FFA Organization grows the next generation of leaders who will change the world. These future leaders can make a tangible impact on the problems facing the world and agriculture. National FFA uses conferences, workshops and other experiences to cultivate premier leadership, personal growth, and career success in FFA members. The FFA Next Generation (Next Gen) Conference equips students with the knowledge and skills to interest and prepare them for future careers in agriculture. The first Next Gen conference was held in Kansas City, Mo., in Feb. 2020. FFA members were immersed in experiences related to animal systems careers. The COVID-19 global pandemic halted plans for the conference series in 2021, but [...]

Washington Leadership Conference (WLC) inspires FFA members to become changemakers in their communities. Each day of the conference focuses on a different principle taught through the context of our nation’s capital: Explore, Encourage, Advocate and Serve. At the end of the week, members leave with a Living to Serve Plan they can implement in their communities. After a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, nearly 2,000 FFA members from across the country attended WLC for one week in June or July of 2022. Attendees represented 587 different chapters across 45 states. At the end of seven weeks, 1,157 responses were recorded on a post-conference survey (67% survey completion rate). This document provides a high-level overview through the eyes of these FFA members who completed their survey and can be used to understand the life-changing experience that is WLC. For more information, email evaluation@FFA.org. After a two-year hiatus, the 2022 WLC nearly reached the outcomes of the 2019 conference. Attendance Comparison Metric 2019 2022 Registered Attendees 2,155 1,961 Living to Serve (Community Service) Plans 1,442 1,109 [...]

A collaborative study between the National FFA Organization and Purdue University1 in 2018-19 explored the relationship between involvement in FFA and college and career readiness, representing the largest sample of FFA members to date in all existing published research on FFA members. Involvement in FFA is correlated with academic success. The three-component model of school-based agricultural education revolves around the integral relationship between classroom instruction, work-based learning through a supervised agricultural experience program, and membership in FFA. FFA does not exist without classroom instruction and school-based agriculture programs, in which student academic success is of high importance. This study provided the first baseline of FFA members’ academic success and revealed that FFA members possess academic scores that are higher than the national average. FFA members show higher ACT and SAT scores on average than the 2018 high school graduating class average. FFA members have a collective average ACT score of 23.5, compared to the national average of 20.8. FFA members have a collective average SAT score of 1152, compared to the national average of 1068. Additionally, [...]

A member’s level of involvement in FFA can vary widely—from not being involved in any activities to competing at the National FFA Convention & Expo. What barriers exist that prevent FFA members from being fully involved in FFA? The National FFA Organization and Purdue University surveyed high-school FFA members from 60 schools to help answer this question. Survey participants came from 60 FFA chapters—31 classified as being in a rural area and 29 in an urban area.1 There were 590 usable responses from current FFA members.2 Most responses (about 90%) came from members of urban FFA chapters. While this research study3 was not the largest study of FFA members in terms of the number of respondents, it was the most racially and ethnically diverse pool to date. This report focuses on levels of involvement in FFA across various demographics—including urban or rural classification—and conclusions that can be drawn about more highly involved FFA members. Forthcoming reports will focus on other aspects of this research study. How is involvement in FFA measured on a survey? The survey [...]

A recent study by Purdue University, in collaboration with BASF and the National FFA Organization, focused on workplace attractiveness to 18-25 year-old FFA Alumni. There were five key dimensions used to measure the extent an individual is attracted to an employer: Interest value: An exciting work environment, novel work practices and that make use of its employees’ creativity to produce high-quality, innovative products and services. Social value: A working environment that is fun, happy, provides good collegial relationships and a team atmosphere. Economic value: Above-average salary, compensation package, job security and promotional opportunities. Development value: Recognition, self-worth and confidence, coupled with a career-enhancing experience and a springboard to future employment. Application value: An opportunity for the employee to apply what they have learned and to teach others, in an environment that is both customer-oriented and humanitarian. This document provides high-level findings that can assist in better understanding the generation currently entering the workforce. About the Participants in This Study: Generation Z (Gen Z) The 18-25 year-old participants1 in this study are classified as younger members of [...]

A member’s level of involvement in FFA can vary widely—from not being involved in any activities to competing at the National FFA Convention & Expo. What barriers exist that prevent FFA members from being fully involved in FFA? The National FFA Organization and Purdue University surveyed high-school FFA members from 60 schools to help answer this question. Survey participants came from 60 FFA chapters—31 classified as being in a rural area and 29 in an urban area.1 There were 590 usable responses from current FFA members.2 Most responses (about 90%) came from members of urban FFA chapters. While this research study3 was not the largest study of FFA members in terms of the number of respondents, it was the most racially and ethnically diverse pool to date. This report focuses on how FFA members report stretching and embracing tendencies in relation to comfort zones and levels of adaptability. Forthcoming reports will focus on other aspects of this research study. Rural members’ responses reveal they are more likely to be in their comfort zones than urban members. [...]

The FFA motto gives members 12 short words to live by as they experience the organization’s opportunities. Three of these words sum up the desire to help provide for one’s community: Living to Serve. Volunteerism in FFA In a 2021 survey of 10th and 11th graders in FFA, 74% of respondents who identified as FFA members said they volunteered1 in their schools or communities. A 2024 study of FFA members found that besides athletics, the activity that FFA members participate in the most is volunteering.2 Research shows that participation in structured activities and civic engagement, such as volunteering, leads to greater school engagement, which can inspire positive outcomes such as better grades, lower levels of depression, higher self-esteem, and decreased likeliness to be involved in risky behaviors. Structured activities and civic participation allow for positive interactions between youth and their peers and trusted adults, another beneficial outcome.3 Spotlighting Service in National FFA Programming National FFA encourages students to immerse themselves in service activities through structured programming at the national and local levels. National FFA Week (Spring [...]