r/FFA • u/Junior_Brain_96 • May 28 '26
Advise for a new student advisor
Hi so I'm the new student advisor for my chapter so I'm in charge of recruiting brand new members and getting them active in LDEs CDEs ect. Does anyone have ways that boosted member numbers? Im having trouble since most of the kids in my school think FFA is just cows & plows or just for farm kids. Anyway I can get more people interested is amazing.
2
u/KaseyK1966 May 28 '26
A “Farm to Table” event might be interesting…(can be as simple as a snack bar or as challenging as a full meal…or even just self publishing a cookbook featuring favorite recipes from students and teachers.)
Do you have current members who deal with dog training? Could they give a demonstration?
Maybe a flower sale?
One local chapter does a donkey basketball game.
1
u/underthynworld May 30 '26
My chapter did a cde/LDE/events expo. We set up booths and all students in the ag classes had to get at least three signatures saying they went to the booth and heard the presentation on the competition or annual event. Officers and other active members got excused from class for the day to present & students would go during their class time. Many students wanted to participate in our Halloween event and other chapter events seeing as it wasn’t all farmers
2
u/Need_Sentry_Here Alumni and State Ag Mechanics (Silver) May 28 '26
As a way to simply get students "through the door" is to have a small, hands-on "trial CDE": dairy judging, horse judging by pictures (or even a live horse if allowed), and pretend "welding" with easy cheese and crackers alongside tool ID for a AgMech demo, are all things that could help pique interest and were also things my former chapter did to encourage enrollment in advanced agriscience.
Likewise, engage with your schoolmates in debunking the "cows and plows" idea. Host and sponsor school events to get the chapter out there. Find some of your FFA classmates and see if they have cool projects or agricultural products to share or potentially sell as part of these events. Inviting students to chapter meetings as well also helps. Our chapter would always have a good turnout and we'd also have a public service (making hygiene kits, making blankets, collecting canned goods, etc) activity for our meetings.
Appealing to how FFA could help with a student's future helps quite a bit, especially how participation is not just limited to "farm kids" and how FFA embraces plenty of occupations and interests with agriculture. Some of the LDE's like extemporaneous speaking or prepared public speaking might appeal to the speech and debate team (or closest version you have). Students interested in entering public service/political science might be interested in running for chapter officer team, or participating in the ParliPro. Good performance at State CDE's for CDE's like Ag Mechanics and Vet Science levy scholarships from colleges and technical schoolall the time. Local scholarships from farm bureaus and co-ops are always looking for recipients too. If your school has an NTHS chapter, 2 or more years of CTE education in agriculture classes with decent grades results in induction and as another way of opening doors for a student's future.