Project Description
The best of the best.
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 supervised agricultural experience. Finalists for these awards have mastered skills in production, finance, management and/or research.
AMERICAN STAR CATEGORIES
American Star in Agribusiness
The American Star in Agribusiness is awarded to the FFA member with the top nonproduction agribusiness supervised agricultural experience in the nation. The member must demonstrate outstanding achievement, active FFA participation and an exemplary scholastic record.
American Star in Agricultural Placement
The American Star in Agricultural Placement is awarded to the FFA member with the top agricultural placement supervised agricultural experience in the nation. The member must demonstrate outstanding achievement, active FFA participation and an exemplary scholastic record.
American Star in Agriscience
The American Star in Agriscience is awarded to the FFA member that demonstrates the top agriscience-based supervised agricultural experience in the nation, including students who are actively engaged in doing their own research individually, as well as those students who may be cooperating on research projects with others. The member must demonstrate outstanding achievement, active FFA participation and an exemplary scholastic record.
American Star Farmer
The American Star Farmer is awarded to the FFA member that demonstrates the top production agriculture supervised agricultural experience in the nation. The member must demonstrate outstanding achievement, active FFA participation and an exemplary scholastic record.
AWARD PROCESS
Qualifications
FFA members receiving their American FFA Degrees are eligible to apply for an American Star Award. Members may only apply for the award the same year that a candidate is applying for an American FFA Degree. Each state FFA association may select one candidate in each of the American Star Award areas. Candidates are selected based on the quality of their American FFA Degree and star battery applications.
Judging
A team of judges scores every application in each star award area using the appropriate rubric. Upon completion of all applications, judges select four finalists in each award area. Each finalist is invited to attend the National FFA Convention & Expo for an additional evaluation and interview by a second team of judges. The annual winner in each award area is selected from the four national finalists.
Awards
Each finalist for the American Star Awards receives a $2,000 reward and honorary plaque on stage at the National Convention & Expo. Each American Star Award winner, as chosen by judges following a second round of evaluation and interviews, is awarded an additional $2,000 in honor of their achievements.
NATIONAL AWARDS
About
Sixteen national finalists are selected in each category and division to compete for the American awards.
Star Award winners are announced on stage during the National FFA Convention & Expo.
Resources
Results
EVENT SPONSORS
RELATED STORIES
Austin Stanton Named 2018 Star Farmer
Like a good bread recipe or a cowboy tall tale, farming is a tradition Austin Stanton’s family has passed through generations.
Eric Koehlmoos Named 2018 Star in Agriscience
Not many teenagers have an ethanol producing facility in their basement, but for Eric Koelmoos, a student from the South O'Brien FFA Chapter in Paullina, Iowa, it was all part of his supervised agricultural experience (SAE).
Colin Wegner Named 2018 Star in Agricultural Placement
For Colin Wegner, family is the big motivator behind his career in agriculture.
Benjamin Curtin Named 2018 Star in Agribusiness
For Ben Curtin of the Taylorville FFA Chapter in Illinois, a crossroads of art and agriculture exists in his metalworking business.
Awards and Recognition Advisory Committee
- Two business and industry representatives
- Two members, who are agricultural education instructors
- Two members, who are state staff
- Two members who are teacher educators
- One student member
- One student member of the National FFA Alumni Council
- One member who is an awards program superintendent
