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Leadership Opportunities Abound

Whether you’re an energetic Greenhand or a high school junior looking to step up your leaderhip game before graduation, Missouri FFA has two exciting opportunities for you.

 

Applications for HYMAX and HYPE leadership programs are both due March 1.

 

HYMAX — JUNE 15-17, 2018: Application due March 1, 2018

 

Helping Youth Maximize their Agricultural eXperience (HYMAX) 2018

Missouri FFA Agricultural Leadership Freshmen Academy

 

Click Here for Online Application

 

Are you a future leader in Agriculture, FFA, and your community? If you answered YES, the HYMAX Academy is for you! HYMAX is a youth leadership conference designed for promising ninth grade students to reach their full potential! These FFA members will be prepared for future leadership roles, agricultural career exploration, and advocacy for agriculture. In addition, you will gain key strategies for SAE development, written and verbal communication skills, and career development. Most importantly, you will bring home tools to help you and your chapter achieve greater success!

 

The HYMAX will further motivate Agricultural Education freshmen students during a weekend-long leadership conference. It will provide a foundation in agricultural leadership and prepare you to embrace agricultural and leadership opportunities throughout your high school career.

 

In 2018, the top FFA Greenhands (up to a maximum of 100 students) will be selected to participate in HYMAX through a competitive written application process. Advisors may nominate up to FOUR students (two girls and two boys) per chapter. Students need to submit a written application, academic transcript, and two letters of recommendation. One of the two letters must be from your Agricultural Education Teacher/FFA Advisor and the second from a community leader that knows you and your leadership experience. Academy members will experience this innovative agricultural leadership academy at the Missouri FFA Camp Rising Sun at the Lake of the Ozarks, June 15-17, 2018. A participant fee of $30 will provide lodging, meals, leadership materials, and Academy T-Shirt.

 

All applications must be submitted to the Missouri FFA office by March 1, 2018. There are five parts to the written application: 1) information and signatures, 2) student narratives, 3) Ag Educator/FFA Advisor recommendation, 4) community leader recommendation, and 5) high school academic transcript. Please make sure that the information is correct on the applications, especially e-mail address. Students will be contacted prior to attending HYMAX using this e-mail address.

 

  • FFA members will be notified of selection by April 2, 2018.
  • Registration fee will be due by May 15, 2018.

HYPE ACADEMY: GROWING ADVOCATES FOR MISSOURI AGRICULTURE

Sponsored by the Missouri Corn Checkoff

 

June 26-28, 2018

Application Due March 1, 2018

 

Are you a future leader in agriculture, FFA and your community?

Are you ready to be an active member of the agricultural community and tell the agriculture story? If you answered YES, the HYPE Academy is for you! HYPE is a youth leadership conference designed to challenge and equip the

TOP 30 incoming high school senior FFA members to be advocates for agriculture.

 

What is HYPE?

These 30 FFA members will receive hands‐on experiences to prepare them to communicate, lead and advocate for the agricultural Industry. In addition, you will gain strategies to continue strengthening your knowledge base in agricultural issues, sharpen your written and verbal communication skills and spark potential career interests.

Most importantly, you will bring home tools to help you and other members in your FFA chapter tell the agriculture story!

 

When, Where, and Why HYPE?

The HYPE Academy will challenge 30 Agricultural Education students during an intensive three‐day academy June 26‐28, 2018. Held at the University of Missouri‐Columbia, HYPE will build on other important FFA leadership conferences you have participated in up to this point. Expect this leadership experience to be a hands‐on, engaging academy that will provide you skills to communicate, lead and advocate for the agricultural industry.

 

How do you Apply?

In 2018, the top 30 entering high school seniors in 2018‐19 will be selected to participate in HYPE through a competitive written application process. Students need to submit a written application with five narrative responses, academic transcript, FFA member activity form, and three letters of recommendation. One letter must be from your Agricultural Education Teacher/FFA Advisor, the second from a school administrator (superintendent or principal), and the third from a community leader that knowsyou and your leadership experience.

 

All applications must be submitted to the Missouri FFA office no later than March 1, 2018.

There are six parts to the written application: 1) information and signatures, 2) student narratives, 3) Ag Educator/FFA Advisor recommendation, 4) community leader recommendation, 5) FFA member activity form and 6) high school academic transcript.

 

Please make sure that the information is correcton the application. Students will be contacted prior to attending The HYPE Academy using submitted e‐mail address. FFA members will be notified of selection by April 2, 2018.

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State Officers Address Missouri General Assembly

For the last 27 years, our state FFA president has had the honor of addressing the Missouri House of Representatives.  The theme of this year’s speech was Growing Leaders, Building Communities, and Strengthening Agriculture.

A Facebook Live post of your Missouri state FFA officers singing the National Anthem in the Whispering Gallery also took place on Mon., Feb. 5.  Missouri FFA is proud and honored to share that this video has generated more than 157,000 views and was picked up by Todd Starnes of Fox News that same afternoon. Check out the video on our Missouri FFA Facebook page. Other news on the annual Legislative Day can also be found there as well.

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Western Farm Show

FFA DAY IS FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2018

Attention all FFA Members & Advisors! Plan to attend the Focus on Agriculture Careers event.

 

Here are a few details:

  • FFA day will be held Friday, February 23rd.

  • Kansas State FFA and Missouri State FFA leadership are eager to share a message about how your students can become advocates for Agriculture and Hunger Awareness; making a difference in their communities and schools.
  • We encourage Advisors and Students to make a special visit to the OSU booth this year.

Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology, where students can learn about educational opportunities in Agriculture. Featuring their Equipment Technician Training Program for students looking to earn a degree in equipment maintenance and repair. Representatives will be on hand to answer questions about the program and OSU-IT. www.osuit.edu

  • FFA Canned and Nonperishable Food Border Battle at the Western Farm Show!

In support of the 2018 National FFA Week and FFA Day at the 2018 Western Farm Show, FFA members from Missouri and Kansas are encouraged to gather and bring canned and nonperishable food to donate to Harvesters Community Food Network. Your chapter could win $500 for bringing the most canned and nonperishable food items!

How do I register?

  • Complete the form below with the number of students your chapter plans to bring to the Show submit via the website or print and fill out the form and FAX the form back to us. You will receive your complimentary tickets in February, along with a letter providing details about parking and other information.
  • Please be sure to fill in your Western Farm Show FFA ticket request form below.

 

Ticket Request orders received after February 2, 2018 will not be mailed, but left in “will call” at the ticket office at the American Royal. The ticket office will open the morning of Friday, Feb. 23.

For questions, contact Ken Dean ([email protected]).

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Mark Your Calendar

Mark your calendar for these up-coming leadership development programs and scholarship application deadlines.

 

Check with your FFA advisor about State Degree, Proficiency Award, State Chorus, State Talent and State Officer deadlines.

 

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Save the Date – Drive to Feed Kids

The first ever Missouri FFA Food Insecurity Service Day was held last August during the 2017 Missouri State Fair, and plans are already well underway for this year’s event.

 

Set for Aug. 14, this year’s project hopes to package 100,000 meals for food banks across Missouri.

 

Missouri FFA teamed with Missouri Farmer’s Care for the first Missouri FFA Food Insecurity Service Day. On Aug. 15, 2017, more than 350 FFA students and volunteers spent the day packing 52,032 meals to feed families of up to six people.

 

In an effort to combat childhood food insecurity in the state, Missouri Farmers Care has launched a summer of service with Drive to Feed Kids, a program that leverages existing food bank and distribution networks to deliver kid-friendly meals to youth. Food is delivered through backpack programs and in-school food pantries to help children in food-insecure households.

 

Dr. Alan Wessler, chairman of Missouri Farmers Care, said the Missouri State Fair is an appropriate venue to celebrate the best of Missouri agriculture as well as address the food-security challenges that too many Missourians face.

 

“Hunger isn’t an issue that only happens somewhere else,” Dr. Wessler said. “It is a pervasive concern across Missouri’s rural communities.” A recent study from Feeding America revealed that food insecurity exists in every county in the nation, from a high of 38 percent in Jefferson County, Mississippi, to a low of 3 percent in Grant County, Kansas. The study also showed that:

 

  • Children are at greater risk of hunger than the general population. Across all counties, 21 percent are food insecure, compared to 14 percent of the general population.

 

  • Food-insecure individuals are often ineligible for federal nutrition programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and free and reduced-priced school lunch programs, underscoring the importance of not only the charitable food assistance sector but also a strong and effective safety net of public nutrition assistance programs.

 

  • 76 percent of counties in the top 10 percent of food-insecure counties are rural. Predominantly rural counties have higher rates of food insecurity than urban counties.

 

“All of us in agriculture are focused on doing our best to produce food,” Dr. Wessler said. “But we’re also focused on making our communities the best place they can be. When our youth face uncertainty about access to nutritious food, it presents challenges in coming to school ready to learn and thrive. It is time to consider what we can do to help. The good news is that our partner through Drive to Feed Kids, Feeding Missouri, has a proven and efficient way to deliver food to those who most need it.”

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Living to Serve

Interested in serving other FFA members?

Consider sharing your skills and talents by becoming a Missouri State FFA Officer?

Check out the state officer application procedure at state convention here.

 

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Missouri Youth Institute

Do you want to help change the world? The Missouri Youth Institute is a life-changing experience at the University of Missouri where high school students engage with local leaders and experts on critical global challenges, participate in hands-on activities, and explore exciting ways to make a difference in Missouri and around the world.

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MO FFA Teams Up with Missouri Cattlemen

Eat beef! You can help support the Missouri Cattlemen’s Association and Missouri FFA by purchasing a raffle ticket for a quarter of beef from the 2017 Missouri State Fair Grand Champion Steer.

Tickets will be sold until January 6. Individual tickets are $5 or five tickets for $20. You may purchase tickets online at mocattle.com or from participating local FFA chapters. Winners will be selected at the MCA Convention on January 6.

Two winners will receive a quarter of beef and the top two selling chapters will win the other quarters. Money collected will go towards a cash prize to the top exhibiting FFA chapter at the 2018 MCA All Breeds Junior Show, June 8-10.

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Greenhand Motivational Conferences Kick Off in January

First year FFA members are invited to participate in Greenhand Motivational Conferences to be held across the state in January. Conferences will be held Jan. 9-12 for each chapter’s respective area and provide new FFA members with learning and leadership opportunitites.

  • Jan 8 – 8:30 a.m., Area 8
    Lincoln University, Jefferson City
  • Jan 9 – 8:30 a.m., Area 1
    Missouri Western State University, St. Joseph
  • Jan 9 – 9:00 a.m., Area 6
    State Fair Community College, Sedalia
  • Jan 9 – 2 p.m., Area 13
    Waynesville
  • Jan 10 – 8:30 a.m., Area 13
    North Central Missouri College, Trenton
  • Jan 10 – 8:30 a.m., Area 13
    Missouri State University, West Plains
  • Jan 10 – 11:30 a.m., Area 2
    North Central Missouri College, Trenton
  • Jan 10 – 9:00 a.m., Area 9
    Missouri State University, Springfield
  • Jan 10 – 12 p.m., Area 9
    Missouri State University, Springfield
  • Jan 10 – 2:30 p.m., Area 16
    Three Rivers CC, Poplar Bluff
  • Jan 11 – 8:30 a.m., Area 15
    Southeast Missouri State University, Cape Girardeau
  • Jan 11 – 9 a.m., Area 11
    Missouri State University, Springfield
  • Jan 11 – 9:30.m., Area 3
    Truman State University, Kirksville
  • Jan 11 – 12 p.m., Area 12
    Missouri State University, Springfield
  • Jan 11 – 4 p.m., Area 5
    Bowling Green
  • Jan 11 – 4 p.m., Area 14
    Sullivan
  • Jan 12 – 9 a.m., Area 4
    University of Missouri, Columbia
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