FFA Basics
How to start an FFA Chapter...
The agricultural science education program is built on the three core areas of classroom/laboratory instruction, supervised agricultural experience programs and FFA student organization activities/opportunities.
FFA is an integral part of a school's agriculture program. If you currently have an agricultural science education program in your school and want to start an FFA chapter, talk with your agricultural education instructor.
You will need to work with the State FFA Executive Secretary for assistance in completing an application for chartering a chapter.
FFA operates on local, state and national levels. Student members belong to chapters organized at the local school level. Agricultural education instructors serve as chapter advisors. Chapters are organized under state associations headed by an advisor and executive secretary, often employees of the state department of education. States conduct programs and host annual conventions.
The National FFA Organization, governed by a Board of Directors and a Board of Student Officers, charters state associations; provides direction, programmatic materials and support; and hosts the National FFA Convention, which draws more than 51,000 attendees each fall. The National FFA Alumni Association's more than 40,000 members assist in the continued growth and development of active FFA programs.
The FFA is an integral part of the Agricultural Education program. To join the FFA you must be enrolled in an Ag Science Education course in your local school. Contact your school's counselor or Ag Science instructor to enroll in Ag Ed and join the FFA.
Being an FFA Member, you get:
FFA New Horizons Magazine
With your FFA membership, you receive six issues of FFA New Horizons, the organization's member magazine. With entertaining and informative feature articles on everything from famous athletes to career spotlights to important FFA News, the award-winning FFA New Horizons is a cool benefit for members.
Career Advice and Hands-On Training
Do you know what you want to do after you finish school? FFA can help you develop the skills you need to get there. Don't have a clue? FFA can help you figure out which of agriculture's 300 exciting career options match your interests and skills. If you're like the 73 percent of FFA members who already plan to pursue a career in agriculture, you know that there are options for almost any interest, whether you want to work indoors or outside, at a desk in the lab, in the city or on a farm, with other people or on your own. Even if you don't choose a career in agriculture, the skills and training you gain through FFA will lead to success in any industry.
Leadership
None of us are born leaders, but the FFA can help you become one. FFA members strengthen their personal sills, learn to manage their time, and discover how to respect themselves and gain respect from others. Leadership skills are developed throughout the FFA program from a local Chapter's programs of activities, special local, state and national projects, leadership conferences/workshops and career development events.
Competitions
FFA offers so many opportunities for recognition at the local, state and national levels, you can hardly avoid being a winner! In addition to the satisfaction of knowing your stuff and doing your best, you could walk away with money for school, cash prizes and exciting trips, not to mention plaques, ribbons and trophies.
Money for College
The National FFA Organization awards more than $1 million in scholarships to more than 800 FFA members each year. And that's just the beginning. Many local and state businesses also offer FFA scholarships, and FFA experience and skills give members an edge over the competition for scholarships from other groups and schools.
Earning Power
How would you like to get paid for learning? Many FFA members start their own businesses or work for an agricultural company throughout high school. Some FFA members have earned hundreds of thousands of dollars by the time they have graduated from college by reinvesting their profits in their business! While most members don't earn quite that much, their experience still puts them way ahead of their classmates when it comes to applying for college or finding a job.
Premier Leadership
FFA offers a continuum of leadership programs that help members fine tune their talents. The process begins with younger students developing a better understanding of themselves. The next step helps students answer the question. Who are you? Discovering how to work together is the next step in the leadership program.
Once leadership steps are taken the students begin to utilize their knowledge by educating others. Members discover how they work together and how their leadership skills influence others. Together, these programs create youth leadership development.
Another aspect of leadership is sharing knowledge with others. Members are able to do this through mentoring opportunities. There are a variety of mentoring opportunities available for FFA members.
- The leadership development that FFA members undergo allows them to:
- Realize their potential as hardworking individuals of good character noted for their trustworthieness and ownership of responsibility
- Express their enthusiasm as leaders of tomorrow, promoting American values, citizenship and civic participation
- Foster self-respect and are respectful of living things
A formalized structure for recognizing the growth and development of FFA members is contained within the "Degree Program". This program rewards active FFA members for progress in all phases of leadership, skills and occupational development. The Discovery FFA Degree, the Greenhand FFA Degree and the Chapter FFA Degree are awarded at the chapter level. Arizona FFA awards top members with the State FFA Degree. The highest degree, the American FFA Degree, is conferred upon an elite group of members at the national level.
Personal Growth
FFA fosters a sense of belonging within its chapters. Members work side by side for a common cause. The cooperation can be seen in many of the programs. Student success then builds chapter success.
Chapters Working Together
Each year, FFA chapters are asked to apply and be formally evaluated on their Program of Activities (POA). The national organization evaluates these programs based on what they give back to the students and their communities. Several areas are emphasized, including agricultural awareness, conservation and promoting healthy lifestyles.
Some examples of winning activities include designing an agriscience curriculum complete with hands-on projects for elementary school students, growing a community garden for the disadvantaged, organizing runs/walks to encourage healthy attitudes and establishing a load program to provide starting capital for student entrepreneurs.
As a part of the evaluation process of a POA, chapters are encouraged to apply for the Superior and National Chapter Award. This award program recognizes the best efforts of students across the state and country.
Career Success
FFA offers students a variety of opportunities in career selection. Whether it is career developmentorcompetitions,students can explore various fields.
Agricultural Proficiency Awards Program
This program helps members set goals and learn practical skills. the program rewards FFA members at the local, state and national levels for exceptional accomplishments and excellence in Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) program. Agricultural Proficiency Awards are available to all FFA members enrolled in high school agriculture, including special-needs students. Individually, students can apply for specific proficiency areas ranging from agricultural communications to wildlife management.
Career Development Events
Today, with more than 300 career options in agribusiness and agriscience industries, opportunities for students abound; the key to their future success lies in their ability to be prepared for the working world. Career Development Events (CDEs) allow students to explore many of these careers, ranging from agricultural communications to environmental and natural resources to livestock selection. CDEs provide students an invaluable opportunity to work with their peers and teachers as well as community and business leaders as they prepare for these events.
Why Agricultural Education?
Agricultural education prepares students for successful careers and a lifetime of informed choices in the global agriculture, food, fiber and natural resources systems.
The agricultural science education provides a well-rounded, practical approach to learning through three components: Class room education in such fields as horticulture, forestry, agrimarketing, etc; hands-on supervised agricultural career experience such as starting a business or working for an established company; and FFA, which provides leadership opportunities and tests students' agricultural skills through Career Development Events and award and recognition programs.
FFA often joins with other groups that make a community a better place to live and work. These activities address quality standards in: economics, citizenship, environment and agricultural awareness.
What is Agriscience Education?
Agricultural science education is a systematic program of instruction available to students desiring to learn about the science, business, and technology of plant and animal production and/or about the environmental and natural resources systems. Agricultural science education first became a part of the public education system in 1917 when the U.S. Congress passed the Smith-Hughes Act. Today, over 800,000 students participate in formal agricultural science education instructional programs offered in grades seven-adult throughout the 50 states and two U. S. territories.
How is Agriscience Education delivered?
Agricultural science education instruction is delivered through three major components: 1) classroom/laboratory instruction (contextual learning), 2) supervised agricultural experience programs (work-based learning), and 3) student leadership organizations (National FFA).
A quality agricultural education program has a balanced utilization of these three core components. These components are best carried out when the following strategies are employed:
- Community-Based Planning - involvement of the school administration and community in the planning and coordination of the program is essential to success.
- Professional Development - agriculture teachers take advantage of opportunities for professional development and growth.
- Partnerships - the development of alliances with community and business leaders are essential for program success.
- Marketing - every agricultural education program needs a successful marketing strategy in place to attract and retain students and the support of the community that is being served.
Opportunities through Agriscience Education
Students are provided opportunities for leadership development, personal growth, and career success.
Leadership Development
Can be obtained through many activities offered through FFA. One way to achieve this is through a series of four leadership and personal growth conferences. The only requirement is a desire to grow, learn and have fun.
- FFA members are more likely to be employed than the average high school student
- 62% of members are employed, compared to the United States young adult average of 38%
Personal Growth
FFA develops a variety of skills in its members. These include information on leadership, scholarship, how to maintain healthy lifestyles, learning agricultural career skills and participating in Supervised Agricultural Experience. (SAEs).
- FFA members are academic achievers with 86% intending to pursue further education after high school
- FFA members who plan to attend college are interested in pursuing careers in business, science, education and agriculture
Career Success
Agricultural education opens the doors to many careers. Opportunities have expanded in the field of agriculture to include unique positions such as biotechnology, forestry, marketing, engineering, turf management and more. Today there are 300 fields of study and employment.
Here are just a few of the fields on can delve into:
- Agricultural and Forestry Production Specialists
- Communication and Education Specialists
- Managers and Financial Specialists
- Marketing, Merchandising and Sales Representatives
- Scientists, Engineers and Related Specialists
*Source: FFA member statistics are from the Horatio Alger comparison of agricultural education students to typical high school students.
Resources for Chapter Leaders
Need to access some of the basic ceremonies and/or the FFA Creed? Click on the appropriate link below: