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"Spring is a time to find motivation, and help brighten the day for others." With that in mind, we thought agricultural education teachers might enjoy an opportunity to explore some quotes written by the great Dr. Seuss.
Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, was a person that single-handily created a world of wonders for both children and adults. Whether it’s The Cat in the Hat, or Green Eggs And Ham, the stories and characters he created conquered the heart of generations.
Though he didn’t see success right from the get-go, his entertaining stories and vivid characters took the world of children literature by surprise. Dr. Seuss is an optimistic and down-to-earth writer. His optimism also shows in his quotes about life, love, and dreams. Though he is not around anymore, Dr. Seuss’s words of wisdom will continue to inspire and influence generations to come.
We would like to encourage you to explore the many quotes available by Dr. Seuss in "32 Motivational Dr. Seuss Quotes to Brighten Up Your Day", and find ways to connect it to your work with agricultural education students as you move through the spring season.
Source: Our Mindful Life, Accessed on 4/8/24.
 The Agricultural Education End of Year Report supplies data that can be used to plan for Ag Ed in the future. Last year we had an outstanding submission rate of 96%! In a bid to have all agricultural education teachers submit their data this year, OSPI will once again be utilizing an Alchemer's survey format for 2024. The Ag Ed End of Year Report will be sent out via email on May 1, 2024 to all Ag Teachers and CTE Directors across the state and will remain open only until July 1, 2024. Please see the link for a preview of the questions that will be included on this year's report. There are a few new questions that are included on the 2024 report, so you are encouraged to preview the questions before starting.
The deadline to submit New CTE Courses for the 2024–2025 school year is April 15. This is a priority deadline that OSPI has in place to process course applications. For your planning purposes your program should have the following items in place before submitting:
- CTE Advisory Board minutes reflect the Name and CIP Code for any new courses approved
- Advisory board has reviewed Skills Gap Data related to the course
- Have a copy of the 2023–2024 FFA membership roster and Program of Activities (POA) ready for upload
If you have any questions, please reach out to Tamara Whitcomb at tamara.whitcomb@k12.wa.us for assistance or visit CTE Resources and Essentials for guidance on creating a framework.
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The Washington Association of Agricultural Educators (WAAE) would like to invite all agricultural education teachers to "Come Together" while attending the Annual WAAE Summer Conference on June 23–27, 2024 in Shelton, Washington at the Little Creek Resort and Casino.
OSPI would also like to encourage all agricultural education teachers to participate in this professional development opportunity. The conference is packed with workshops presented by your peers, which lends a sense of collaboration to the event. Conference planners are still looking for additional workshop presenters, so if you are interested please email Abby Cate at acate@royalsd.org. There are tours of agricultural based industries and a vendor show to help gain resources for the next school year. WAAE summer conference is a time to gather as a collective group of teachers to help answer questions, provide mentorship, take part in recreation, support teachers through an annual live/silent auction, and celebrate the accomplishments of our Ag teachers in the field. This conference also helps prepare agricultural education teachers for the upcoming school year.
On behalf of the entire WAAE executive team, we would like to encourage everyone to check out the links included and register to attend the conference at your earliest opportunity. A solid workshop and tour schedule will be made available at the beginning of May. There is even a letter you can give to your administration in support of attending the WAAE summer conference on behalf of WAAE and OSPI, and a schedule of events to help with your planning needs. Let's all "Come Together" and make this year's WAAE summer conference one to remember!
 The Washington Association of Agricultural Educators (WAAE) Member Experience Committee came up with the brilliant idea at last year's summer conference of offering a monthly Owl Hour to provide opportunities to learn and grow as Ag teachers. Each month, an Ag teacher will host an hour–long professional development event on different topics for teachers.
WAAE President, Lori Sanderson, hosted the first Owl Hour back in December on resources and benefits of NAAE/WAAE membership as well as a round table on what we should offer our members. If you missed any edition of Owl Hour, a recording is available on the WAAE website. To assist teachers as they continue to move through the year, WAAE has some important dates to remind everyone about as well.
May 1 – WAAE and NAAE Award Applications Due to Chris Carlson
(please use his new email address to submit at waaeccarlson@gmail.com)
April 22 – Owl Hour - Banquet and State FFA Convention Planning
As another tool to stay connected to WAAE, we encourage you to start following them on Instagram @wa–ageducators. The WAAE website also includes resources for new teachers, information on how to join WAAE, district calendar to plan events, professional development opportunities, and provides details on all our WAAE traditions that help build a sense of community. We encourage you to check out the WAAE website to spark your interest and definitely bookmark the website in your favorites to access future WAAE conference information.
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Come join us June 22–23 for a great professional learning opportunity! We will certify you in the CASE AgX curriculum. Every lesson includes unique and engaging hands-on activities and projects encouraging student exploration of the agricultural value chain from industry to consumer. In addition, the curriculum includes fresh and personalized assessment tools with laboratories, games, and questioning exercises. Projects throughout the course prepare students for selecting exploratory SAE projects they can implement after completing the course.
This is a curriculum that truly works in all types of situations and can easily be modified to meet your needs as a teacher and your student's needs as well. Information on how to register for this event will be made available soon.
The SAE for All training will be hosted on June 22–23 prior to WAAE Summer Conference. This 1.5 day training will provide an opportunity to learn more about SAE for All, the types of projects that are considered Supervised Agricultural Experiences (SAE's), how student SAE projects connect to FFA degrees and award applications, and learn how to manage and supervise SAE projects each year.
Come join the fun and learn how you can to make SAE for All a meaningful experience for your students enrolled in agricultural education courses. More information on how to register for this event will be made available soon.
STIHL Northwest and Washington State University are pleased to offer you a training at the STIHL NW headquarters in Centralia, WA. Teachers who provide instruction in forestry, outdoor education, outdoor power, landscaping, agricultural mechanics, and anyone who works with equipment that has the STIHL logo are encouraged to attend.
This will include an online module of training prior to the event (The Bronze training). Once you complete the online training “at home” you will be awarded the certificate of completion that warrants your training in Centralia on the evening of June 21 and all-day June 22. The cost is $320.
Some meals and light faire will be provided and clock hours will be offered. This opportunity is limited to only 12 participants! It is suggested that participants consider housing at the Fairfield Inn and Suites at Grand Mound (2 miles from STIHL NW).
J.D. Fernstrom, STIHL Technical Service manager, is the lead instructor. I have worked with J.D. before in Okanogan county. He is super knowledgeable and great to work with. This opportunity coincides with the Washington Association of Agricultural Educators (WAAE) conference in Shelton, so it's a great opportunity to participate in this pre-conference training. J.D. Baser, the coordinator for this training completed the Bronze training a few years ago and then traveled to Illinois to complete the Silver training. He used the information provided by these trainings constantly with students when teaching outdoor power.
Registration closes on April 15. For more information or to register for this event please contact J.D. Baser at jbaser@wsu.edu
WSU staff are eager to host three CASE Institutes this summer on the WSU Pullman campus. For specific information about how you can take part in this professional development opportunity please check out the flyers. You can also contact Anna Warner anna.warner@wsu.edu and JD Baser jbaser@wsu.edu if you have any questions.
- Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (AFNR)
- July 8-12 in person, July 15-16 virtual
- Register by 2/29 to save $200
- Registration deadline: April 15
- Register at : www.case4learning.org
- Environmental Science Issues (ESI)
- July 8-12 in person
- Register by 2/29 to save $200
- Registration deadline: April 15
- Register at : www.case4learning.org
- Small Gas Engines (SGE) BriefCASE
- July 15-17, 2024
- Register Deadline: May 1
- Cost is $825
- Housing block available at Hilltop in Pullman, WA
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The Washington State FFA officers and staff are really excited to be back in Pullman for the 94th Annual Washington State FFA Convention on May 9–11. As a lead into the State FFA Convention experience, our state officers continue to release fun posts on the Washington FFA Association Instagram account. We encourage you and your students to check them out!
As we prepare for state convention keep a look out for updates and emails from Washington FFA state staff. Any updates will be reflected on the State FFA Convention link on the Washington FFA Association website. We have also included the link to register for this event using Judging Card, the state convention schedule, workshop schedule, talent application, and the waiver forms for your planning needs. Many thanks to WSU and CAHNRS for their continued support!
If you have any questions please let us know. We will continue to post additional information as it becomes available.
The National Chapter Award (NCA) Program is designed to recognize FFA chapters that actively implement the mission and strategies of the organization. These chapters improve chapter operations using the National Quality Chapter Standards (NQCS) and a Program of Activities (POA) that emphasize growing leaders, building communities, and strengthening agriculture. Chapters are rewarded for providing educational experiences for the entire membership.
In Washington State, all National Chapter Award applications are due on April 15. Applications are submitted electronically via ffa.org or AET. There are two main parts to the application including Form I and Form II. Form I provides the opportunity to upload 15 activities that tie into one of the main quality standards and complete a summary of the national quality standards for your FFA chapter. All FFA Chapter's that fill out Form I can be recognized with a State Superior Chapter Award on stage at state convention.
Form II provides an opportunity to select nine of the activities from Form I to describe in detail their goals, plan of action, outcome and impact the activity had on the students, chapter, and community. Chapters that complete Form I and II and make a presentation at state convention will be eligible for a National Chapter Award and a State Premier Chapter Award for an innovative FFA chapter activity.
National Chapter Award Applications will be reviewed on Saturday, April 27 at Eastmont High School. If you are interested in helping with the review or have questions about the National Chapter Award application, please contact Tamara Whitcomb for more information. Registration will be made available soon. Good luck to your students as they complete the National Chapter Award applications this spring!
For more information on NCA you are welcome to check out the National FFA Organization website using the link provided.
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2024 Next Gen Food Products and Processing Application Deadline Extended
Do you have students interested in the foods pathway? The Next Gen Food Products and Processing conference has been set for June 25-29 in Minneapolis, Minn. Students can engage with corporate donors such as Cargill, CNH, Domino's and more. Next Gen allows students to explore pathways through informational sessions, panels and tours. Visit here for more information and to apply. The application deadline is Tuesday, April 9, at 11:59 pm EDT. Need financial assistance for traveling to the conference? Click here for more information. The deadline for financial assistance is Monday, April 15.
2024 Next Gen Environmental Services and Natural Resources Applications Now Open
The Next Gen Environmental Services and Natural Resources conference will be in Salt Lake City, Utah, Sept. 10-14. Visit here for more information and to apply. The deadline for applications is Wednesday, May 15. Need financial assistance for traveling to the conference? Click here for more information. The deadline for financial assistance is Friday, May 31.
Career and Leadership Development Events
All 2024 revisions to the CDE/LDE handbooks are now available on the CDE/LDE webpage. The versions will be noted with a “Revised March 2024” in the top right corner of each page. Translated copies will be posted as they are updated.
National Chapter Award Resource
Now that you have put your Program of Activities (POA) into action, a key step is to reflect on the activity. Plans are useless without implementation. The POA is a tool used to help the chapter meet member’s needs and interests. Reflecting on the POA involves looking at each activity after implementation and deciding if the event met its goals. Reflection is an ongoing process. A well-planned and well-implemented POA will grow leaders, build the community, and strengthen agriculture. To save time and effort, the POA should be reviewed and reflected upon regularly.
To simplify the process, use POA Form 3 and POA Form 4 to help reflect on and evaluate the results. Each committee may use POA Form 3 to summarize actions. This will assist the committee in preparing a report for the officers and the chapter members. This also serves as a good reference for the next year’s committee.
After each activity is implemented, committee members should reflect on accomplishments and make recommendations for the future. The committee may use POA Form 4 for this purpose. The committee chairperson may use the form as a report for the chapter.
Engaging Students in the Agriscience Research Process
Need ideas on how to engage your students in the research process? Check out this lesson plan series to better engage your students through research and development.This lesson series aims to guide students through the agriscience research process. Skills learned through this process align with the National FFA Agriscience Fair award area.
Fifth-Eighth-Grade FFA Advisor Needs Assessment Coming in March This month, all fifth-eighth-grade FFA advisors and agriculture teachers in the FFA membership roster will receive a survey asking about their current needs. Questions will range from learning more about their fifth-eighth-grade agriculture program (how it operates, student engagement, general support, barriers, and challenges) to the resources they use and are looking for. Reminders will be sent throughout March to ensure they can respond if they want to. There is an optional random drawing for $50 gift cards upon survey completion. Email questions to evaluation@FFA.org.
Seeking Judges for Grants for Growing
National FFA is excited to offer a new judging opportunity this year: reviewing Grants for Growing applications. Judging will take place from Thursday, May 30, through Friday, June 28, where you will be asked to score about five applications at your own pace during the judging window. Click here to register and learn more about this opportunity. Registration closes Tuesday, May 14, at 11:59 pm EDT.
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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 at jbaser@wsu.edu, to provide details on the posting. All openings submitted will be made available for anyone to access using the provided link. |
NAAE maintains an extensive awards program to recognize the accomplishments of our many talented and dedicated members. We have awards for agricultural educators in every stage of their careers, from scholarships to lifetime achievement. We also manage grant programs for organizations who want to help support agricultural education and agricultural educators.
To find out more about the awards and professional development opportunities available through NAAE check out the 2024 award application list and visit the website for more information. NAAE award applications for state selection are Due to Chris Carlson by May 1. Please submit by emailing waaeccarlson@gmail.com
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NAAE is now accepting proposals for professional development workshops to be presented at the 2024 NAAE Convention in San Antonio, Texas, December 4-7, 2024, relating to topics appropriate for middle and secondary agricultural educators, teacher educators and post-secondary agricultural educators. Workshops should relate directly to enhancing classroom/laboratory instruction, student work-based learning and/or leadership development, teacher professional development, program marketing/communications and partnership/collaborations.
Proposals are to be submitted by Monday, June 3. Each proposal will be evaluated by a panel of reviewers and final decisions will be emailed to the primary workshop contact by August 1. More specific information will be given at that time.
If selected to present your workshop at the 2024 NAAE Convention, you will be responsible for your registration, hotel, and travel expenses. NAAE does not pay expenses for workshop presenters.
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The Zoetis Industry Support Program is the long-standing local FFA chapter support program offered by Zoetis (formerly Pfizer) that sends grant money to chapters across the US based on sales of Zoetis products by local veterinarians, animal health product distributors, and dealers.
The program is open for enrollment now at: https://programdetails.zoetisus.com/FFA/asp/FFA_ContributionForm.asp. Local ag teachers and FFA members should connect with their local veterinarian(s), animal health product distributors, and dealers and share program information with them before asking them to sign up. Veterinarians need a chapter’s FFA ID number to complete sign up.
The program does not cost the local veterinarian, animal health product distributor, or dealer anything. All they have to do is sign up and their normal sales of Zoetis products are tracked and Zoetis at the corporate level writes a check to the FFA chapter(s) the enrollee identified to support. One veterinarian, animal health product distributor, or dealer can support up to five chapters.
We’d love to program participation numbers grow in your state. Advisors are encouraged to take pictures of their students interacting with their local veterinarian and/or animal health product dealer and share these pictures with Zoetis at: uslivestockcommunications@zoetis.com.
Sign up is open now through May 3, 2024.
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