Opportunities in FFA

Interest Approach Have an FFA chapter officer or a former member visit your class and discuss what he or she has gained from participating in FFA activities.

Student Learning Objectives Instruction in this lesson should result in students achieving the following objectives: 1 Describe how FFA develops leadership skills, personal growth, and career success. 2 Identify major state and national activities available to FFA members.

Terms The following terms are presented in this lesson (shown in bold italics): Advanced Leadership Development Conference (ALD) Agriscience Student Recognition Program Career Development Event (CDE) Experiencing Discovery, Growth, and Excellence Conference (EDGE) FFA Global Programs FFA Scholarship Program Food for America leader leadership Made for Excellence Conference (MFE) National FFA Convention Partners for a Safer Community Partners in Active Learning Support (PALS) personal growth Washington Leadership Conference (WLC)

Objective 1 Describe how FFA develops leadership skills, personal growth, and career success. Anticipated Problem: How does the FFA organization develop the skills and characteristics for future career success? I. The purpose of FFA is to help students develop to their full potential through activities in the agriculture program.

Objective 1continued A. Leadership is one of the major areas stressed in FFA.  1. Leadership is the ability to influence other people to meet individual or group goals.

Objective 1 continued 2. A leader is a person who helps other people reach their goals. 3. Four desirable traits of a good leader are:  a. Personal skills—traits that make it easier for other people to follow a leader, such as being hardworking, responsible, and honest b. “How to” skills—traits that help a leader share responsibilities, such as organizing meetings, speaking to groups, and writing messages c. “Thinking” skills—traits that enable a leader to think and assess problems  d. “People” skills—traits that help a leader relate well with other people, such as being trustworthy, respecting others, and having a positive attitude  

Objective 1 continued B. Personal growth is developing skills in order to have a better life. 1. It includes leadership skills, career skills, social behavior, and citizenship skills. 2. Social behavior deals with manners and respect for others.  3. Citizenship involves being a good member of the community and the nation.

Objective 1 continued C. FFA promotes career success through recognition of excellence in agriculture and the development of skills for career advancement. 1. Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) is an example of a career-related activity.  2. A Career Development Event (CDE) provides opportunities to practice technical skills learned in the classroom that will be used later in career settings.

Objective 1 continued D. FFA provides a number of offices for leadership development. These offices include: President—presides over meetings Vice-President—presides in absence of the president Secretary—takes minutes of meetings Treasurer—in charge of the financial accounts Sentinel—keeps order in meetings Reporter—reports news to media Historian—keeps FFA scrapbook Parliamentarian—rules on parliamentary conduct during meetings Chaplain—presents invocations at functions

Objective 2 Identify major state and national activities available to FFA members.  Anticipated Problem: What major state and national activities are available to FFA members? II. As an FFA member, you can participate in a wide range of activities at the local, state, and national levels.

Objective 2 continued A. Every year, state and national conventions are held to conduct business, provide recognition for award winners, and demonstrate opportunities for leadership growth. 1. The National FFA Convention is the largest youth conference in the nation. Recent attendance has been in excess of 50,000 members. 2. The convention offers motivational speeches, educational tours, leadership conferences, and the FFA National Agricultural Career Show. 

Objective 2 continued B. Every year at their respective conventions, state and national officers are elected to serve for the upcoming year. 1. State officers usually travel around their state, visiting chapters and presenting leadership workshops. 2. National officers spend more than 300 days each year traveling across the United States and abroad, representing FFA.  C. At state and national conventions, FFA members provide much of the entertainment. 1. Many state and the national conventions host a talent contest.  2. Musically talented individuals can participate in state and national choruses and bands.

Objective 2 continued D. FFA Global Programs give students and teachers the opportunity to explore global agriculture through experiences that demonstrate the agricultural practices and cultural traditions of other countries.  E. FFA members who are interested in science and plan to go to college should participate in the Agriscience Student Recognition Program. 1. Winners at the state and national levels earn substantial scholarships for higher education. 2. Participants are required to develop a scientific project that involves agriculture and to write a report describing methods, technologies, observations, and results. 

Objective 2 continued F. More than $1 million are awarded every year through the FFA Scholarship Program. To apply for a national FFA scholarship, secure an application form from an advisor or guidance counselor. G. Partners in Active Learning Support (PALS) is an FFA mentoring program based on partnering FFA members with younger students to build trust and develop self-esteem.

Objective 2 continued H. Food for America is a program that FFA members present to elementary school students. It educates younger students about where food comes from and the importance of agriculture.  I. Partners for a Safer Community is a national collaborative effort to promote agriculture safety and health through education, community development, and youth leadership. 

Objective 2 continued J. National FFA Week is held every year during the third week in February. Members conduct various activities to celebrate and promote their organization. K. The national FFA magazine, FFA New Horizons, is an excellent source of information about the organization. It features articles about members participating in various local, state, and national activities. 

Objective 2 continued L. A number of conferences are available to members.  1. The Washington Leadership Conference (WLC) is located in our nation’s capital. The Washington Leadership Conference is a five-day event that trains FFA members to make a positive impact in their schools, their local communities, their states, and the nation. 2. The Experiencing Discovery, Growth, and Excellence Conference (EDGE) is the first component of the National FFA Leadership and Personal Growth Series. It is designed to help middle school students better understand who they are and where they are heading. 

Objective 2 continued 3. The Made for Excellence Conference (MFE) is the second component in the National FFA Leadership and Personal Growth Series. It is a two-day personal development conference designed primarily for high school freshmen and sophomores. The overall outcome of this conference is personal growth.  4. The Advanced Leadership Development Conference (ALD) is the third component of the National FFA Leadership and Personal Growth Series. It builds upon the curriculum of both EDGE and MFE and offers an experience specifically for high school juniors and seniors. During the conference, students explore the wide variety of careers available in the field of agriculture.  5. State leadership conferences are commonly held within each state around the country. State conferences focus on personal development and learning more about what FFA has to offer. 

REVIEW How does the FFA organization develop the skills and characteristics for future career success? What major state and national activities are available to FFA members?