The National FFA Organization is the largest youth-led organization in the nation. Its mission is to prepare future generations for the challenges of feeding a growing population. They teach that agriculture is more than planting and harvesting – it’s a science, a business, and an art.
FFA was founded by a group of young farmers back in 1928. Years ago, “FFA” stood for Future Farmers of America. Founding members of the organization taught that agriculture involves science, business, and much more. In 1988, the name changed to the National FFA Organization to represent the vast changes in the organization.
The National FFA Organization is a national youth organization of 653,359 student members as part of 8,568 local FFA chapters in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. FFA’s mission is to make a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth, and career success through agricultural education.
FFA continues to help the next generation rise up to meet new agricultural challenges by helping members develop their own unique talents and explore their interests in a broad range of career pathways.
FFA develops a member’s potential and helps them discover their talent through hands-on experiences, which give members the tools to achieve real-world success. Members turn out to be future chemists, veterinarians, government officials, entrepreneurs, bankers, international business leaders, teachers, and premier professionals in many career fields.
What are the benefits of students joining FFA? The website Benefits Of gives four benefits:
Increases motivation
A recent study showed that most FFA members found their agriculture lessons exciting. In fact, the study portrayed that FFA members were more active and passionate learners. Most of them participate in school activities like sports and other community activities.
Provides scholarships
A key advantage of the FFA is that it encourages all student members to follow post-secondary education. This is mirrored in several statistics that show that members of the FFA are more likely to join colleges, technical schools and universities than other students. The FFA usually awards more than one million dollars every year in scholarships to deserving students.
Identifies specific goals
Members of the FFA organization have a high probability of identifying specific career goals in the field of agriculture. This leads to better grades in the subject of agriculture as well as other subjects as they aim to achieve their targets. Most FFA student members become employed while still in school, lending another dimension to their membership.
Provides opportunities to earn money
Another key benefit of this particular organization is that it provides its members great opportunities to earn money through doing various agricultural projects. There are awards to be won for exceptional projects, and this makes certain that the members are always motivated to enhance their performance.
Agriculture is a part of our future. New technology and new techniques will need hands-on participation. The FFA encourages this participation in all agriculture fields, along with education and practical applications. Teaching students while they are young produces a positive attitude about farming and agriculture. And we will need that positive attitude to develop new ways to feed people and maintain sustainable farms in the future.
Check them out at https://www.ffa.org/home.