On Wednesday July 26th the Senate CTE Caucus organized a briefing at the Capitol with the National FFA Organization highlighting agricultural education. Senator Todd Young of Indiana, the Republican Co-Chair of the Senate CTE Caucus, delivered remarks along with several FFA leaders and students.
The National FFA Organization seeks to support youth in developing leadership skills and pursuing personal and career successes through agricultural education, and it is made up of over 850,000 members. The briefing was held in conjunction with the 2023 FFA State Officer Summit, which brought many FFA student leaders to Washington, DC, to receive training and opportunities to advocate for agriculture education issues.
As part of this visit, FFA State Officers from Indiana, Virginia and Wisconsin met with congressional offices and presented their personal FFA experiences at the briefing. Kelcey Weston, president of the Virginia FFA, shared how the educational and leadership opportunities she has experienced as a part of FFA built her confidence and expanded her abilities. Additionally, FFA leaders presented how their organization provides programming and activities that supplement classroom and experiential learning to create a holistic approach to agricultural education.
In his remarks, Senator Young noted the prevalence of agriculture in his state of Indiana, which creates both demand and opportunity for agricultural CTE programs. With Indiana consisting of more than 200 FFA chapters, he emphasized the importance of developing leadership and workforce skills that will serve students in their personal careers while simultaneously benefiting employers. Senator Young encouraged the students to continue pursuing these experiences that will support them in the future as he stated: “CTE unlocks all kinds of opportunities for students.”
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