The Goochland High School FFA Chapter will be honored as a Superior Chapter at the Virginia State Convention in July, to be held in Blacksburg, Virginia.
The GHS FFA Chapter has 20 active members, and GHS Teacher and FFA Sponsor Danny Allen said chapter programs and involvement in community activities are the basis for the Superior Chapter designation. “We’ve participated in community service events, including picking up trash, working with Christmas Mother, holding fall and spring plant sales, and volunteering with Goochland Cares,” he said. These activities, plus opportunities to compete and participate in career development events where students can focus on areas of interest, help students learn about agriculture and build leadership skills both in and outside of the classroom.
“FFA is a program that teaches students about leadership through agriculture education,” Allen said. “It’s neat to stand back and see students grow into young adults and become leaders. When you take a child to their first competition or first state convention or first FFA Leadership Camp, they come back another person,” he said. “I’ve had a lot of parents tell me their children become more organized, and they are willing to stand up and take charge of tasks within the classroom. They become leaders,” he said.
FFA is the premier youth organization preparing its members for leadership and careers in the science, business, and technology of agriculture. The FFA National Chapter Award Program is designed to recognize FFA chapters that actively implement the mission and strategies of the organization, according to the group’s website. Chapters that improve chapter operations by growing leaders, building communities, and strengthening agriculture are annually recognized at state conventions.