INDIANAPOLIS (Wednesday, June 3, 2020/National FFA Organization) – This spring has looked a little different this year for teachers across the country. That hasn’t stopped them from doing their jobs and continuing to advocate for their students and the subjects they believe in.

This summer, more than 50 agricultural education teachers are taking their passion for agriculture and sharing their story to local communities and beyond – as part of the National Teacher Ambassadors for FFA program.

The program, which began in 2016, 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 to learn and collaborate on educational resources. This year’s training will look a little different than years past, as participants will go through training online.

Throughout the year, the ambassadors will present multiple workshops and work with teachers from across the country to brainstorm and share ideas. Through the year, the ambassadors will serve as a voice of the organization to teachers across the country. They will, in turn, provide feedback from those in the educational field to the National FFA Organization.  In addition, four past teacher ambassadors will be serving as mentors and providing support for this year’s teacher ambassadors.

“Our ambassadors play an important role for us – not only by sharing information out in the field but also by sharing with us the challenges our teachers and advisors face every day,” said Christine White, chief program officer for the National FFA Organization. “Through this program, we hope to equip teachers with the tools they need to be successful in not only developing future leaders but also in telling their stories.”

Those individuals who have been selected to serve on the FFA Teacher Ambassador program are:

These individuals have been selected to serve as mentors for the teacher ambassadors:

The National FFA Organization provides leadership, personal growth and career success training through agricultural education to more than 700,000 student members who belong to one of the more than 8,600 local FFA chapters throughout the U.S., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The organization is also supported by more than 8 million alumni and supporters throughout the U.S.

# # #

About National FFA Organization
The National FFA Organization is a national youth organization of more than 700,000 student members as part of 8,600 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, Twitter, and the official news page of the National FFA Organization.

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.