Alumni

FFA advisors and members across the country rely on FFA Alumni and Supporters to help support their chapters through the gifts of time, talent, and resources. How did FFA Alumni and Supporters’ experiences in FFA make them want to give back to the organization? The following findings are from a survey conducted in Spring 2023 through the Forever Blue Network. Alumni and Supporters attribute skills learned in FFA to their career success. The top five skills extremely influenced by alums’ FFA experiences were: Developing leadership skills, 63% Public speaking, 59% Building relationships, 53% Social skills, 49% Career preparation, 43% Did you know? 93% of surveyed FFA Alumni and Supporters report that FFA positively affected their career. 84% have worked in agriculture. Nearly 60% of those surveyed reported they are currently in a senior-level position or higher at work.1 What FFA Alumni and Supporters Say About FFA… “FFA has been the sole powerhouse behind my lifelong commitment to personal and professional growth and has granted me a life full of happiness and love I would have never [...]

The American FFA Degree The American FFA Degree is the highest degree achievable in the National FFA Organization. It shows an FFA member’s dedication to their chapter and state FFA association. It demonstrates the effort FFA members apply toward their supervised agricultural experiences (SAEs) and the outstanding leadership abilities and community involvement they exhibited through their FFA careers.1 Community service, leadership abilities and outstanding scholastic achievement are among the essential requirements to earn the American FFA Degree. Members must also have been active members of FFA for the past three years, completed many hours of agricultural education classwork and be currently operating an SAE. The American Star Award From among those members receiving the American FFA Degree each year, National FFA annually recognizes FFA members who rise to the top with the American Star Awards. These members have gone above and beyond in their attitude, involvement, community service and SAEs. Finalists for these awards have mastered skills in production, finance, management and/or research.2 The Research The purpose of the research, which began in the fall of [...]

Each year, FFA chapters celebrate National FFA Week. It’s a time to share what FFA is and its impact on members. This February, members and chapter advisors celebrated FFA and served their communities, National FFA Officers visited with FFA chapters, and FFA Alumni and Supporters engaged on social media. Meanwhile, FFA partners and donors contributed to Give FFA Day, and National FFA staff celebrated at the National FFA Center in Indianapolis. This document provides quantitative information about FFA Week activities. For more information, contact evaluation@FFA.org. Celebrating National FFA Week Locally Many FFA advisors used the National FFA Week Implementation Guide to plan activities for their FFA chapters and schools during FFA Week. Analytics show that users accessed the guide 4,436 times as of March 2022, with most interactions in January and February. During FFA Week, visitors to FFA.org accessed the guide 516 times. Over National FFA Week, the FFA Week webpage on FFA.org was viewed 10,375 times. There are many possibilities for FFA Week activities, including: Teacher appreciation Social media campaigns Service projects Engaging with alumni [...]

Life membership is a one-time investment in the future of National FFA. It ensures FFA will be there to provide leadership training and experiential learning opportunities to generations of agriculturists. You’ll help us empower FFA members to exert an influence in their homes and communities. Benefits of Life Membership Life members receive a membership card, a membership certificate, a lifetime subscription to FFA New Horizons magazine, the ability to attend personal and professional development conferences and conventions, and additional member benefits. The true impact of a life membership to the lives of FFA members is through leadership scholarships. Nationwide Membership Supports Nationwide FFA Members In 2020, lifetime memberships allowed 42 alumni chapters and state associations to receive leadership scholarships to help current FFA members. Some states received up to $5,800 in leadership scholarships. Don’t see your state highlighted in green? Contact alumni@FFA.org. Life membership continues to impact FFA members—year after year The one-time cost to become a life member creates long-lasting impact for current FFA members, and here’s how: Life members contribute to an investment account [...]

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 [...]