National FFA Week happens Feb. 16-23 in 2019, and chapters around the country are making plans to celebrate in their own creative ways. In North Carolina, the Mount Pleasant Middle School FFA Chapter is proof that even brand-new chapters can put on an impressive roster of FFA Week festivities. The chapter held its chartering ceremony in February 2018, just two days before National FFA Week began, and it used FFA Week as an opportunity to introduce its school and community to FFA.
“Last year was our first year as a chapter, and we wanted to start off our new agriculture program and FFA chapter right,” says Ashleigh Miller, Mount Pleasant Middle School agriculture teacher and FFA advisor. “We had a full week of activities and made our school know that FFA was a new big part of our school. By going big for our first FFA Week, we let people know FFA is a serious student organization that can make a huge impact on our whole school and community.”
Each day of FFA Week during morning announcements, FFA officers challenged the entire school to answer agricultural trivia questions for a chance to win prizes. Winners were announced each afternoon.
“We also had dress-up days for the week – hat day, hunter safety/camo day, boot day, FFA apparel day and flannel Friday. Dress-up days corresponded with activities,” Miller says. “On boot day, we got all our 118 FFA members together and learned a line dance. We even taught our assistant principal the line dance.”
FFA members also created corn-sourced gifts for the school’s teachers, office staff and custodians to show their appreciation, and they hosted an FFA movie night so chapter members could get to know one another.
“Our big event was an Agstravaganza on Thursday of FFA Week,” Miller says. “We invited community and state groups to come help our FFA members put on educational booths about agriculture. The event was open to the entire school, including our 650 students.”
Barrier Farms, a local business, brought a sprayer and a combine to teach students about crop science. Four Acres Farm taught students about mules. Morrison Farms taught students about cattle production.
Eighth-grade FFA member Cheyenne Pope hosted a poultry booth, complete with her own portable chicken coop, to teach students about the poultry business. Other booths focused on vet science, agricultural engineering, the North Carolina Soybean Association, the North Carolina Farm Bureau and more.
“FFA members have many differences, but we all have a passion for agriculture,” says Alana Finley, an eighth-grade student who serves as president of the Mount Pleasant Middle School FFA Chapter. “During FFA Week, we are able to show everyone what FFA is really about – leadership and growth – and show that everyone is welcome in FFA regardless of our differences.”
The chapter plans to make FFA Week 2019 even better, improving on its 2018 events and adding new booths to the Agstravaganza event, which is scheduled for Feb. 21.
“Make the most out of what you have and do what you think will be fun,” says Maleena Clapp, an eighth-grade student who served as Mount Pleasant’s first FFA chapter president in 2017-18. “We were inspired to come up with ideas for activities all students would enjoy.”
Need a little inspiration to plan your chapter’s greatest FFA Week ever? Find ideas, including FFA Celebration Tools, and learn more about National FFA Week at FFA.org/ffaweek. Online celebration tools include:
- A Facebook profile frame
- National Wear Blue Day promotional materials
- Graphics for social media
- Information about the Tractor Supply Co. Grants for Growing campaign
- An FFA Week promotion kit, available for download
