For many FFA members, a summer highlight is attending Washington Leadership Conference (WLC) in Washington, D.C. — the second-largest student experience hosted by the National FFA Organization each year. It draws thousands of students from across the country.
FFA members can attend one of seven week-long WLC sessions in June and July that include interactive workshops, seminars and small-group sessions led by agriculture industry professionals, counselors and FFA staff members.
Each activity focuses on building personal strengths and developing leadership skills so students can better serve their respective chapters and communities.
WLC attendees also learn more about the history of the nation’s capital, tour D.C. landmarks and have the opportunity to participate in congressional visits.
Judd Samples
“Visiting Washington, D.C., was an important part of my WLC experience because it helped me broaden my perspective,” says Judd Samples, a 2022 WLC attendee and president of the Emerson FFA in Emerson, Ark. “I realized the things I do in my community can impact not only those around me, but also people in my state, country and beyond. At WLC, we learned to do what we can, with what we have, where we are. Even if you think you don’t have the resources, you can still find a way to make a difference.”
Another significant aspect of the conference for many students is each week’s capstone event, a hands-on civic engagement activity requiring attendees to put their newfound knowledge to work while embodying the last line of the FFA motto, “Living to Serve.”
“Helping pack meals with Meals for Hope [a nonprofit organization aiming to end hunger in the U.S.] is one of my favorite WLC memories,” says Virginia FFA State Vice President Jordan Petrie (pictured above), who attended WLC in 2022. “My peers and I helped pack approximately 60,000 meals in about two hours. We had so much fun working together, and it showed us how much we could accomplish in a short amount of time by collaborating and combining our strengths and talents.”
The impact of WLC extends to its corporate partners, too. Kathy Eichlin, head of internal communications North America crop protection for Syngenta, a longtime National FFA Organization and WLC partner, attended the conference for the first time in 2022 and walked away feeling inspired and excited about the future of agriculture and the industry’s next generation of leaders.
“I was blown away by WLC – the caliber of the students who attended, the insightful questions they asked, and how engaged they were in each group session and one-on-one conversation,” Eichlin says. “It was an outstanding week for me, both personally and professionally, and it made me feel even prouder to be part of this industry. I’m already looking forward to going back.”
To learn more about WLC and to register to attend, visit FFA.org/WLC.
