Through New Mexico Agriculture in the Classroom’s Agricultural Literacy Project, Valencia FFA members in Los Lunas, N.M., are sharing the importance of agriculture with future professionals and leaders plus igniting an interest in FFA.
“It’s a sight to see. When the FFA members go into elementary school classrooms in their blue corduroy jackets and with a book in hand, the children light up,” says Reina Silva, Valencia FFA Chapter advisor. “They’re excited to learn and are engaged in the lesson from start to finish.”
To prepare for the experience, which includes reading an agriculture-related book to elementary school students and guiding them through a hands-on activity, participating members receive training from New Mexico Agriculture in the Classroom leaders.
“We travel to elementary schools throughout our district, usually up to three per month from December through May,” says Valencia FFA President Sophia Silva, a junior at Valencia High School. “Last year, we read a book called The Great Pumpkin Smash, which focuses on composting. We also helped students build catapults, just like the main character in the story, and they loved it.”
For Valencia FFA Vice President Karleigh Gibson and chapter member Christopher Montoya, both sophomores at Valencia High School, participating in the New Mexico Agriculture in the Classroom program is a full-circle experience. They both fondly remember FFA members reading to them as young children, and say this helped them decide to join FFA.
“I looked up to them [in their official dress] and wanted to be just like them when I went to high school,” Gibson says. “Now, here I am. It’s exciting for me to be part of this program, hopefully inspiring the next generation and instilling a lifelong appreciation for agriculture.”
A Lasting Impression
To date, Valencia FFA has connected with more than 110 classes of elementary schoolers, which totals approximately 2,240 students in kindergarten through fifth grade.
In recognition of their hard work and dedication, the National Agriculture in the Classroom Organization and National Grange Foundation presented the chapter with a Partnership in Agricultural Literacy Award in 2022.
“We have the opportunity to be role models and make a major impact, and that’s pretty special,” Montoya says. “None of us take this for granted.”
Want to spark conversations about agriculture, both in and beyond the classroom? The National FFA Agricultural Literacy and Advocacy Platform includes an abundance of programs, initiatives and award areas. Access the four-step effective advocacy model, resources and more at ffa.org/ag-literacy-and-advocacy/.
