INDIANAPOLIS (Wednesday, June 7, 2023/National FFA Organization) – Teachers around the country are sharing the word about agriculture and agricultural education. More than 70 agricultural education teachers are sharing the message of agriculture as part of the National Teacher Ambassadors for FFA program.

The program began in 2016 and provides teachers with the tools to share information about FFA and agricultural education with their communities. Teachers selected for the program receive intensive training in June and July to learn and collaborate on educational resources. Similar to last year, this year’s training will be in-person and virtual.

Throughout the year, the ambassadors will present workshops and work with teachers nationwide to brainstorm and share ideas. The ambassadors will also serve as a voice of the organization to teachers. They will, in turn, provide feedback from those in the educational field to the National FFA Organization. Eleven ambassadors have also been selected to serve as mentor ambassadors — providing support to others and feedback to the organization throughout the year.

“Through this program, we equip teachers with the tools they need to be successful in not only developing future leaders but also in telling their stories,” said Sarah Dickinson, senior educational consultant for the program and events division at National FFA. “Our ambassadors play a key role in communications for us. They share information in the field, and they let us know what challenges they face every day.”

Those selected to serve as teacher ambassadors include:

Allison Heald, Allison Kincer and Ryan McNaughton of Alabama; Jacob Marek of Arkansas; Jason Ferreira and Carla Parlato-Butler of California; Stacy Young and Shelby Ballof Florida; Nancy Sell and April Davis of Georgia; Cassie Perrin of Illinois; Laura Crosby and Cameron Frazier of Indiana; Melanie Bloom of Iowa; Laura Miller of Kansas;Brittany Elliott, Jacob Ball, Jourdan Palmeri and Magen Woods of Kentucky;  Corey Alleman, Alyssa Stelly and Kalyn Yount of Louisiana; Leasa Guddera of Maryland; Jennifer Woods and Victoria Yackle of Michigan; Catherina Avent and Millie McKinney of Mississippi; Tim Davis of Missouri; Carrie Hough of New Hampshire; Robin McLean and Deanna Miller of New Jersey; Leslie Clark of New Mexico; Tanya Nickerson of New York; Brooke Clapp, Keonte Edmonds and Heather Smith of North Carolina; Bailey Hawbaker and Callahan Anderes Lemar of North Dakota; Katie Black and Stephanie Jolliff, Lori Romie and Jeremy Ryan of Ohio; Madison Hynes of Oregon; Melanie Berndtson of Pennsylvania;Kenneth Barbosa of Puerto Rico; Audrey Cathcart and Libby Templeton of South Carolina; Shana Boteler, Jessica Brown, Kyle Gehring andJessica Rossof Tennesee; Leigh Ann Freeman, Cheryl Handy, Ashlee Lawson and Shannon Mulkey of Texas; Kayla Plewe  of Utah; Kaila Anglin, Emily Bucklew, Mackenah Roberts and Melissa Sease of Virginia; Julie Sions and Allyson Lewis of West Virginia; and Jennifer Russell of Wisconsin.

Those selected to serve as regionally based mentor ambassadors include:

Jeff McKinney of Alabama; Aleah Shook of Arizona; Katie Cooper of Idaho; Bridget Mahoney of Iowa; Kim Clark of Kansas; Kristan Wright of Kentucky; James Pierce of Montana; Tiffany Morey of New Jersey; Charlotte Main and Kasey Naylor of Texas; and Emma Huber of Wisconsin.

The National FFA Organization is a school-based national youth leadership development organization of more than 850,000 student members as part of 8,995 local FFA chapters in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

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About National FFA Organization
The National FFA Organization is a school-based national youth leadership development organization of more than 850,000 student members as part of 8,995 local FFA chapters in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The FFA 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. For more, visit the National FFA Organization online at FFA.org and on Facebook and Twitter.

About National FFA Foundation
The National FFA Foundation builds partnerships with industry, education, government, other foundations, and individuals to secure financial resources that recognize FFA member achievements, develop student leaders, and support the future of agricultural education. Governed by a 19-member board of trustees composed of educators, business leaders, individual donors and FFA Alumni, the foundation is a separately registered nonprofit organization. About 82 percent of every dollar received by the foundation supports FFA members and agricultural education opportunities. For more, visit FFA.org/Give.