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(FRANKFORT, KY) – More than 2,500 FFA students, advisers, sponsors and guests will attend the 90th Kentucky State FFA Convention June 11-13 at the Lexington Center. The State FFA Convention is the longest-running student organization meeting in Kentucky.
Several hundred FFA members will compete in state career development and leadership development events, which range from speaking contests and parliamentary procedure to the agricultural issues forum. Students have qualified for these events by winning local and regional contests. They will demonstrate their skills in front of agricultural industry experts for a chance to represent Kentucky at the National FFA Convention in October.
The State Agriscience Fair will be held June 12, with more than 200 members expected to participate. Agriscience Fair projects are based on research that students have done related to agricultural issues. Topics can range from the most nutritious food for a pet to public perceptions of genetically modified organisms.
FFA members also will have the chance to attend a variety of workshops that are intended to help them become better leaders in the years to come. One keynote address will be given by educator and speaker Gian Paul Gonzalez. Gonzalez is best known for his “All In” speech to the New York Giants on Christmas Eve 2011. The speech is widely credited with propelling the Giants toward winning the Super Bowl in 2012. Commissioner of Agriculture Ryan Quarles and Warren Beeler, director of the Governor’s Office of Agriculture Policy, also will address attendees.
Before the convention begins, almost 200 FFA members are expected to participate in a meal packing activity June 10 as part of the Kentucky FFA Day of Service. The group will pack about 30,000 meals for distribution by Love the Hungry, a Louisville-based group that provides meals to nongovernmental organizations that reach the world’s most vulnerable children.
The convention will conclude June 13, with more than 480 members receiving the State FFA Degree. This degree is based on students’ work-based learning projects through high school, as well as their involvement in FFA and community service.
Kentucky FFA has more than 13,500 members in 152 chapters across the state. The mission of FFA is to make a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education.
For more information, email Matt Chaliff or go to www.kyffa.org. If you need assistance on site during the event, email Celeste Harned or call her at (270) 625-6872.
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