A student reacts to winning the schoolwide rock, paper, scissors tournament.
National FFA Week is a time to celebrate agricultural education, leadership and community involvement while honoring long-standing traditions and embracing new ones.
Each year, FFA members come together to showcase their dedication to service, teamwork and personal growth. From themed spirit days to hands-on projects and community events, members take pride in sharing the FFA experience while creating lasting memories and new traditions.
Group photo from the alumni lunch.
Celebrating Early
In New York, where schools are closed during National FFA Week, members kick off the festivities early. For several years, the Penn Yan FFA Chapter has organized a spirit week featuring themed dress-up days like Cowboy Day, Camo Day and Red, White and Blue Day.
Throughout the week, the Penn Yan FFA officer team strives to engage the entire student body, not just FFA members, by hosting school activities that are open to everyone. This year, events included making chocolate-covered strawberries, enjoying a catered lunch with local FFA alumni and donating cans to the local food bank.
Getting Students and the Community Excited
The week finishes off with a highly anticipated pep rally, where students from all grade levels compete in various competitions for special prizes. These competitions include table surfing, musical chairs and a schoolwide rock, paper, scissors tournament.
“The FFA pep rally is my favorite event of the year because students are more enthusiastic when activities are organized by their peers rather than teachers,” says Penn Yan Principal David Pullen.
Penn Yan FFA Student Advisor Zoe Ziegler (left), Historian Bailey Kennedy (middle) and Reporter Rachel Dann (right) smile during the schoolwide assembly.
This year, the planning committee decided to introduce a new tradition. As part of their curriculum, students in the food science class crafted homemade candies, including chocolate-covered cherries and fudge, which they packaged and labeled with nutritional information.
The Penn Yan FFA advisor then collaborated with the local business council to organize a community event named the “Candy Crawl” on the first day of National FFA Week. FFA members were stationed at 14 different businesses and distributed the handmade candies. Community members could purchase personalized candy tins and visit each business to collect treats while engaging with FFA members.
Tins for the event featured a photo of the current Penn Yan FFA officer team.
What Happens Next Week?
Beyond celebrating National FFA Week, the Penn Yan FFA Chapter remains committed to fostering leadership, agricultural education and community engagement throughout the year. Members regularly participate in service projects, leadership conferences and hands-on agricultural experiences. Their efforts not only strengthen connections within the school and local businesses but also prepare students for future careers in agriculture, business and beyond.
By blending tradition with innovation, Penn Yan FFA continues to create meaningful experiences for its members and community. With each passing year, their dedication to agricultural education and leadership development ensures FFA remains a vibrant and impactful organization for generations.
