|
We are proud to announce that Washington state agricultural education teachers and supporters were recently recognized for their hard work and outstanding service at the National Association of Agricultural Educators (NAAE) and Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) conferences in Las Vegas, Nevada. Both the NAAE and ACTE conferences provide an opportunity to participate in professional development, connect with agriculture teachers and leaders across the nation, and bring back new opportunities to Washington state teachers as well. We would like to encourage everyone to consider participating in professional development opportunities this year and applying for the NAAE and ACTE awards.
Sammi Jo Sims - ACTE New Teacher of the Year - Region 5
Joe Godinho - NAAE Outstanding Cooperation Award Winner - Region 1
Josh Krieg - NAAE Distinguished Professional State Association Award
Melissa Rauch - NAAE Teacher Turn the Key Recipient for Washington State
Randi Krieg - NAAE XLR8 Program Recipient for Washington State
Washington Association of Agricultural Educators (WAAE) officers and participants at NAAE Conference
Photo Credit - NAAE and ACTE staff
Two of our very own were recently inducted into the Mid-Columbia Ag Hall of Fame. Carol Travis, teacher at New Horizons and Charlie Dansie at Connell were both selected to receive the Ag. Advisor Award.
Induction candidates are selected based on their outstanding performance in the agriculture industry and their bountiful support of the local and rural communities. Candidates are recognized by their peers for not only their dedication, generosity, and selflessness, but also their demonstrated achievements, noteworthy expertise, and creative innovations that often provide a legacy of impactful results and lasting benefit to the overall enhancement of the local agricultural industry and community at large. Congratulations to Carol and Charlie!
Photo Credit - Pasco Chamber of Commerce
|
|
Quincy High School's FFA advisor and agricultural education teacher, Rod Cool, says "Agriculture is more important than ever." Rod was recently featured in the Capital Press for an article highlighting the importance of agricultural education, the agriculture labor crisis, and the value of hard work. We encourage you to check out the article highlighting his 36th year in the classroom. Way to represent Rod Cool!
Photo Credit - Quincy School District
|
|
 |
Applications for various degrees, awards, honors, and leadership opportunities are open and available for your students to use. We have put considerable effort into ensuring that processes and materials are available on our website and are clearly outlined to eliminate any confusion. All information for the various applications can be found on our website under the Student or Advisor tabs. All applications are submitted electronically through the National FFA Application System or JotForm; no applications need to be printed or placed in the mail. If you have questions about any of the applications Due on March 1, please contact an FFA state staff member. Applications include: American Degree, National Officer Candidate, Proficiency Awards, State Degree, State Officer Candidate, State Star.
|
 |
|
The Washington FFA Association website has a NEW link to access scholarships, internships and other opportunities available to Washington FFA members. If you would like receive notifications automatically, please access the link to subscribe to this page. If you would like your opportunity posted here, please forward relevant information to Dany Payne at dany@washingtonffa.org
|
|
OSPI will be serving as an approved clock hour provider for agriculture education teachers this school year for several events within Washington State. These events include:
State FFA Award Application Workshop – Jan. 7 or Jan. 21, 2023
State FFA Proficiency/Degree Application Review – Mar. 4, 2023
WAAE Summer Conference – June 18-22, 2023
|
|
 |
This year, "Corduroy at the Capitol" is happening on February 2, 2023 at the Washington Farm Bureau Building in Lacey from 9:00 am–12:00 pm. Lunch will be provided by the Council for Ag. Cooperatives, who are sponsoring the day.
Please begin scheduling "on your own" legislative visits with your hometown legislators as soon as possible. Jesse Taylor, FFA Foundation Director, has provided a cheat sheet to assist with that process. The number of students that can attend will be capped at six per chapter and registration will close on Friday, January 13. If you have questions, please contact Jesse Taylor directly at Jesse@washingtonffa.org
|
|
Registration for all non-convention spring Career Development Events (CDEs) will open on January 15, 2023. Contest and registration details will be posted on our website and communicated via email when registration is live. We will continue to utilize Judging Card as our registration platform.
|
|
 |
 |
|
The FFA Member Leadership Series will be held at Big Bend Community College March 3–4, 2023. Lodging will be at the Best Western Plus Lake Front Hotel. We are planning on having check in at 4:30 pm on Friday and will be wrapping up at 1:30 pm on Saturday. We are looking to finalize registration costs (includes rooms and meals) in the next few weeks and get that information out, so that everyone can be prepared for registration to open on January 15, 2023. Chapters will be limited to 8 members per chapter and it will be first come, first serve.
|
|
FFA Award Application Review will be happening in person this year on March 4, 2023 from 8:30 am–1:00 pm at Big Bend Community College. We will be reviewing Proficiency Award Applications and American Degree Applications. Clock hours will be made available for agriculture teachers that attend.
|
|
 |
 |
|
Each year, Washington state has openings for agricultural education teaching positions at various locations across the state. As openings for agricultural education teachers are made available this school year, please contact J.D. Baser, Associate Professor at Washington State University, to provide details on the posting. All openings submitted will be made available for anyone to access using the provided link.
|
Our WAAE Summer Conference will be held June 18-22 at the Northern Quest Resort. This location is just west of Spokane near the Spokane International Airport. It promises to be a very exciting conference! The conference registration form is now available for anyone that would like to register early. Please take note that Chris Carlson is our NEW WAAE Executive Director and can be contacted by emailing: waaeccarlson@yahoo.com. There is also a NEW address to send in conference registration forms: WAAE, PO Box 96, Stanwood, WA 98292
|
 |
|
To increase clarity among state staff and our local chapters, we have published the Chapter in Good Standing tracker on our website. This tracker can be found under the “Advisor” tab and "Chapters in Good Standing" page. This report will be updated weekly to ensure it is accurate and up-to-date. As a reminder, chapters that are not in good standing will not be able to participate in any state FFA events.
|
As a new teacher, have you ever wondered where to find all the mysterious FFA resources that everyone is always talking about? Well now, you have the opportunity to check them all out in one convenient location. Just "click" on any of the links below and you will be taken directly to documents that are important to familiarize yourself with.
 |
|
Career and Technical Education (CTE) has an active link on the OSPI website titled CTE Resources and Essentials. This website provides important resources for CTE agricultural education teachers that could prove useful this school year. Check out all the fabulous finds below:
|
|
