Real FFA Week Planning Tips (You Don’t Have to Reinvent the Wheel!)

FFA week is quickly approaching (it’s Feb 21-28, 2026 FYI!) and one of my favorite strategies to use when planning FFA week is grabbing the National Chapter Quality Standards.

I am not saying that you need to hit all 15 quality standards or even do a National Chapter application. I just like using the examples and ideas to get my officer team’s brainstorm moving. Most likely you already spent some time with your officers planning your Program of Activities (POA). That is great, you have a foundation that you can build your FFA week activities onto. 

Here are some gentle reminders for you as you plan FFA week

• You don’t have to have an event everyday of the week

• You don’t have to do everything the “old” advisor did

• You don’t have to say yes to every idea your chapter officers come up with

• You don’t have to do a dress-up week 

• You don’t have to do what other chapters do

• You don’t have to reinvent the wheel every year, you can repeat activities!

The great thing about being a FFA chapter is you get to make the decisions that best suit YOUR chapter, YOUR officers and YOUR community. There is no “best FFA week award.” If you go back to the purpose of FFA week it is a time to celebrate agricultural education, leadership and community involvement while honoring long-standing traditions and embracing new ones.

Let’s try and take the pressure that we put on ourselves off and have a great week that is sustainable, fun and student led. 

The first thing we gotta tackle is deciding on your activities. This might be the hardest part for you and your students. 

If you have students (or yourself) that don't like staring at a blank document and trying to come up with something brand new all on your own, using ideas from other chapters is a great place to start. 

And good news I took some time to research some past National Chapter Model of Excellence and Premier Chapter ideas to get your ideas popping. As you look at these ideas you can take them and copy/paste them into your chapter or you can take them as inspiration to create something new in your chapter. 

*Reminder: You don’t have to do all new activities. Aim for sustainability this year. If you think you can only handle 3 activities during the week and only one new one. Do that!

National FFA Implementation Guide

Before we get into some FFA week ideas for you, the most important thing to know is that National FFA has your back! For FFA week they have provided a new implementation guide to help you get started on your FFA week planning and execution. 

This implementation guide has everything from example event ideas, templates for emails/certificates, lesson ideas and more. You can find that implementation guide here. 

Here are some of our favorite resources they provided this year:

• News Release Template & Congressional Letter

I will be honest, one of the first things that I will forget to do is share news with stakeholders of our FFA chapter. I am great at getting the students, families and administration up to date, but legislatures and the general public tend to go to the wayside when my plate is full.

These simple templates can be edited and sent out in just a few minutes by you or your reporter. Remember, you don’t have to reinvent the wheel! Find the templates on page 38. 

• Engagement Ideas

This is a loooooong list of engagement ideas to use during FFA week with your school, members, school staff, service organizations, and even fundraisers. Check it out on Page 9-10. 

• AgEd Academy

If you are looking for something that might work as a sub plan, try out the AgEd Academy. These are online learning modules that students can self-pace through to learn more about AgEd, FFA and managing a chapter. You can find the Academy right here. 

Ideas to Spice Up FFA Week

Growing Leaders

• Leadership: Tech with Teens (McClain FFA, Ohio)

This FFA chapter connected with the local senior center to provide technology lessons to seniors. What a great way to use our students technology skills to better the community. 

• Healthy Lifestyles: Digital Detox Day (Hanford FFA, CA)

Instead of doing a typical dress-up day during FFA week, maybe try to do an action based week. I absolutely loved this idea of a Digital Detox Day. Students in the Hanford FFA Chapter turned in their cell phones at the beginning of the day so they could focus on being present in the school day. 

• Career Success: The Great American Teach-In (Bok Academy Middle FFA, FL)

This chapter did a spin on a traditional career panel with over 20 speakers that engaged with 500 students. They even provided a breakfast for the speakers with their FFA Alumni chapter. 

Building Communities

• Changing the World with a $5 Bill (Stillwater FFA, OK) 

• For a citizenship activity the Stillwater FFA challenged students  to serve their community in whatever way they could. The kicker was, they could only spend $5 which was provided to them by generous donations to the project. You too could have your chapters do a similar activity. Like Advisor Randy Branscum said purpose is to show students that “no one is too small, busy or insignificant to make a difference.” 

• Community Scavenger Hunt

• Connect with local businesses to have students do a local business scavenger hunt. This could be as simple as giving each business a special stamp or sticker to give to those who visit their business. Member could have a “passport” to collect as many stamps/stickers as they can for a prize. 

• “Trick or treat” for canned goods 

• I have seen a lot of amazing chapters do a door-to-door canned food donation around Halloween. I distinctly remember a chapter in CA mentioning they do this around the Holidays and blast Carols in the neighborhoods. To remember that our community needs our help throughout the year why not try a Valentine’s Day Canned Food drive using the same principles during FFA week. 

Strengthening Agriculture

• Bold Celebrating Leadership Teacher Showmanship (Taylor-Katy FFA, TX)

• This chapter spun their agricultural advocacy event to have the teachers of their school to step in the show ring. Members partnered with school staff and teachers to mentor them in their showmanship skills. Can you imagine your Principal showing a heifer? It could be you next year!

• George Washington’s Birthday Party from our very own Cassidy McAllister

• You know we celebrate FFA week around President’s Day which is George Washington’s birthday? Why not throw George a Birthday Party. We love to celebrate General Washington’s contribution to agriculture and our nation as a whole. He deserves some cake (and maybe even candles). Cassidy’s chapter also has a member/staff member dress up as George to make it more real. 

Whatever you decide to do for FFA week with your officer team and members is going to be great. 

Just remember to keep the MAIN THING the MAIN THING. And that is to use FFA week as a time to celebrate agricultural education, leadership and community involvement while honoring long-standing traditions and embracing new ones.

Engage Every Student with the National FFA Convention (Free Resources Inside!)

Indianapolis, the home of Caitlin Clark and the largest convention filled with blue corduroy jackets at the end of October every year.

This year, just like the past National FFA Conventions it crept up on me in no time. One second you are rearranging the classroom and doing Back to School night and the next you are hopping on a plane (or car or bus) to The Racing Capital of the World. 

If you are a Type B teacher (like I usually am) you might be so frantically making sure all the paperwork and travel arrangements are right that you don’t have a second to spare thinking about activities to do with your students once you get to Indy. 

Never fear, we took the time to look at resources that National FFA provides (and us here at G&G) and compiled the best of the best for you to grab and get on your way! 

Without further adieu (because I know you have no time to waste)

Here are your TIPS and TRICKS for Engaging with National FFA Convention (in person and virtually) 

1. National FFA Convention Implementation Guide

The National FFA Team did the heavy lifting for you with this year's National FFA Convention Implementation Guide. This 76 page document is a resource for advisors to pre-plan and engage all students and during the 98th National FFA Convention & Expo. That means EVERYONE including those who are staying home this year. 

Now, I know you are busy and might not have the time to read the entire 76 page document so I pulled out some highlights for you to focus on that I think are pretty neat!

Highlights:

• Choice Activity Board (can be used in-person at Convention or Virtually) Page 20

Choice is a regular option for students in agriculture classrooms. This choice board might be exactly what your students are looking for to engage with Convention. The guide has both an in-person and virtual option. The activities range from designing your own New Horizons magazine cover to virtually visiting the Expo. 

If you are taking this choice board to Indy, be prepared with extra copies as the choice board links to other documents!

• All About Service (Reading & Worksheet)

One of my favorite things about FFA is its commitment to service. This activity allows students to give this worksheet to your students to learn about past National FFA service projects/events. In this activity, students will research one of the past National FFA Service Projects and learn about FFA’s history of service.

This is a great activity for those not attending Convention in person as you would need to access the internet for the readings. 

• Making Meaningful Connections (Worksheet) 

I know so many students LOVE the challenge of getting a signature from a member from every state. Or maybe even level up the challenge with grabbing a picture with them. This Making Meaningful Connections activity is just that. It also suggests for students at home to use the #SpeakAg State Showcase on the Convention Website.

But, this idea got me thinking… what if we took this a step further? What if we ACTUALLY connected with other chapters through the G&G community during convention?!

Maybe you call up a fellow ag teacher and have a video call with their class to share about agriculture in their state. 

Maybe you do a watch party with other chapters in your region for the election of National Officers at the final general session. 

The best thing about technology is our ability to connect with people EVERY where! I challenge you to try something like this!

1. Expo Scavenger Hunt (Free Resource from G&G)

Raise your hand if you are headed to Indy for the Convention this year 🙋

Raise your hand if you are a little nervy about letting teenagers loose for hours in the Expo (raises hand with sweaty palms). 

We get it. That’s why we created a simple Convention Scavenger Hunt for you to print and use with your kiddos this year! This super simple one page worksheet can be used to get those kiddos to test our new expo booths (not just the free Culvers). Allow them a little time away from you but still with a purpose to learn and connect. 

1. Retiring Address Reflection Sheet (Free on TPT)

For many (many) years I wasn’t able to attend National Convention with my students. We would watch from afar with major FOMO. Even before the awesome resources (like the implementation guide) I would have my students at least watch a retiring address during convention. The 6 National Officers pour so much of themselves and their learnings from their year of service into those short 15-20 minute addresses. 

Use this simple worksheet for any retiring address. Maybe you decide to catch a live one this year or dive into the archives. Allow your students to be inspired!

At the end of the day, the National FFA Convention is all about creating experiences that stick with your students long after the trip (or livestream) ends. 

Whether you’re running around Indy in blue corduroy or streaming from your classroom, these resources will help you make it meaningful, manageable, and memorable. And don’t forget that G&G has resources for you all throughout the year (not just during convention). You can check those out here. 

🌿 Officer Training Retreat: Building Strong Teams with Purpose

Planning an officer retreat that balances leadership development, team bonding, and strategic planning is essential for setting the tone for a successful year. By integrating the Three Circle Model of Agricultural Education—Classroom Instruction, Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE), and FFA—into your retreat, you can create a comprehensive experience that fosters growth in all areas.

🧭 Aligning with the Three Circle Model

Incorporate activities that touch on each component of the Three Circle Model to ensure a well-rounded retreat:

Classroom Instruction: Engage in workshops that enhance teaching and communication skills.

SAE: Discuss and plan for student projects, emphasizing real-world applications.

FFA: Focus on leadership development and chapter growth strategies.

By addressing all three areas, you provide officers with a holistic understanding of their roles and responsibilities.

🎯 Fun Activities to Strengthen Bonds

Incorporate engaging activities that promote teamwork and trust:

Escape Room Challenge: Foster problem-solving and collaboration under pressure.

Baking Challenge: Encourage creativity and teamwork in a relaxed setting.

Outdoor Adventures: Activities like hiking or obstacle courses can build resilience and camaraderie.

These activities not only build trust but also create lasting memories that strengthen team dynamics.

⏱️ Time Fillers and Relationship Builders

Utilize short, impactful activities to fill gaps and deepen connections:

"Two Truths and a Lie": A fun icebreaker that encourages personal sharing.

Group Discussions: Topics like "What does leadership mean to you?" can provoke thoughtful conversations.

Reflection Sessions: Allow officers to share their experiences and insights from the retreat.

These activities help officers connect on a personal level, fostering a supportive and cohesive team environment.

💡 Final Thoughts

A well-planned officer training retreat that integrates the Three Circle Model and includes a mix of structured and informal activities can set your team up for a successful year. Remember, the goal is to build a foundation of trust, communication, and shared purpose that will carry through the entire year.

For more resources and ideas, visit our blog and explore our comprehensive guides on planning effective FFA events and activities.

Mastering CDE Practices: A Step-by-Step Guide for Agriculture Teachers

Coaching Career Development Events (CDEs) is a cornerstone of every FFA chapter. I distinctly remember my first time taking a load of kids on a 2+ hour drive to a dairy evaluation competition where we placed second to last and yet it was magical. 

I can remember the triumphs and the defeats and know with my whole heart that regardless of the final placing it was a beneficial experience for my students. 

These events are where students take what they’ve learned in the classroom, apply it to real-world scenarios, and compete with peers across the nation. With 26 nationally recognized CDEs (and even more at the state level), it’s no wonder teachers feel the pressure to deliver high-quality coaching experiences. 

But let’s be real: no one can be an expert in everything.  

But what we know here at G&G is that you want to provide opportunities to a wide variety of students with varying interests even if you truly cannot tell a lame horse from a world champion. 

And while we can’t give you all the content to make you masters at all the CDEs. We can help you create a repeatable process for all of your CDE practices regardless of content area.  

(Note: You can grab a Germinate Hall of Fame session from experts in Ag Sales, Horse Judging, Parli Pro and Poultry Judging over on the resources page) 

That’s where our CDE Coaching Guide comes in. This guide is designed to simplify practice planning and help teachers focus on what really matters—supporting students—this guide offers a repeatable structure for every type of CDE. Whether you’re an experienced teacher looking for a refresh or a newbie wondering where to start, this resource is here to help.

In the past 7 years of serving agriculture teachers we’ve heard it all from teachers:  

How do I even begin coaching a contest I’ve never competed in?  

How do I get students to take ownership of their learning? 

How do I juggle multiple teams practicing at the same time?

Spring is often peak CDE season (which is RIGHT around the corner), and with schedules packed tighter than a freshly baled haystack, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. That’s why we’re all about working smarter, not harder. The CDE Coaching Guide gives you a solid foundation to run consistent, effective practices without reinventing the wheel every time.

What’s Inside the Guide?

Our guide is packed with practical tips, structured practice outlines, and bonus resources to streamline your coaching. Here’s a sneak peek:

Practice Outline

A repeatable structure for 90-minute practices (with suggestions for shorter sessions):  

1. Teaching Time (15-20 minutes): Introduce or review key contest materials.  

2. Individual/Partner Study (15 minutes): Let students dive into one specific area—like specimen ID or test prep—to keep their learning focused.  

3. Quick Review Game (10 minutes): Reinforce learning with fun, competitive activities like trash can basketball.  

4. More Teaching Time (15-20 minutes): Move on to the next topic or contest section.  

5. Wrap-Up (5 minutes): Assign quizzes or study tasks to prep for the next practice.  

 We even added some bonus resources to the guide…

- An attendance sheet to track student performance.  

- A practice outline slide with a timer, so everyone stays on track.  

This format is flexible and can be adapted for contests with multiple components, like Floriculture or Livestock Judging. 

The key? Focus on one or two areas per practice to avoid overwhelming your students (or yourself).

Now, I know you can grab that CDE Coaching Guide and start using it to format your practices to be fun, easy to plan for and effective. But we aren’t going to leave you with that. With 54 years of combined experience we compiled out G&G Team Pro Tips for CDE Success.

👥Tap into your network: Find someone with experience in your contest area and ask for advice.  

🔀Alternate strategies: Always have backup team members ready to step in.  

📊Analyze data: Use practice test results to focus on weak areas instead of re-teaching what students already know.  

🧑‍🏫Learn together: If you’re unfamiliar with a contest, make it a competition between you and the students—it’s a great way to model growth mindset.

We know every teacher’s situation is different, so we’ve addressed some common questions that you might be asking yourself as you read this…

How do I structure practices when student schedules don’t align?

Use our flexible format and encourage independent work outside of practice. Utilize your learning management systems to assign practice work throughout the week so students can practice when they have time.

How do I get students to show up prepared?

Assign pre-work, like quizzes or readings, so practice time is focused on coaching, not catch-up.  

So are you ready to elevate your CDE practices?  

Coaching CDE teams doesn’t have to be overwhelming. With the CDE Coaching Guide in your toolkit, you can streamline practices, focus on what truly matters, and help your students excel. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or just starting out, this guide is designed to take the stress out of planning and bring consistency to your coaching.

Looking for even more support? Join us at our Marigold Meetups, where ag teachers from across the country connect, collaborate, and grow together. These free monthly events are the perfect space to share ideas, ask questions, and gain inspiration.

If you feel like your CDE practices are rocking and rolling and you need more help in the other areas of the three circle model (SAE and Classroom Instruction) don’t forget to explore the other free and paid resources on our website!

Delegate to Elevate: Unlocking Your Potential with Others

During my first couple of years teaching I ate alone during lunch, I sat by myself at FFA events and felt alone singing “All by myself, Don't wanna be, All by myself anymore”

I was working myself to the bone trying to make all the things happen on my own. Why? Because that is how I thought it needed to be done. 

How very naive of me!

I’ll be honest it took me a while to realize I didn’t have to feel this way. I didn’t have to feel alone in my classroom, as an advisor, and most specifically with all the tasks on my to-do list. 

If you actually did all the work on an Ag Teacher’s plate by yourself I think it would be a 24 hour/7 days a week/365 days a year job with more work to do. 

It doesn’t have to be this way if you implement one thing into your career. Asking for help. 

But, you might be saying…

What do I even ask for? 

What can I even ask for help? 

What if people say no? 

Those are very valid questions that we have crowdsourced the answers to. Because we get it, asking for help is an acquired taste that a lot of us overachievers hate more than the taste of Vegemite or Robitussin. 

In this blog post, we’re sharing  three tips that you can use as you start customizing your career by maximizing delegation. 

Three Tips to Customizing Your Career by Maximizing Delegation

1️⃣ Just do it

People can say no, and that’s ok.

Make a list of tasks that you have to do. Then categorize them into “I MUST DO” (like purchase orders, field trip forms, or grading) and “THINGS OTHERS CAN DO” (like coaching teams, proofreading proficiencies, dinner reservations for nationals) 

Then start asking! 

You might find that some of these tasks can be done by your officer team! (ex. Sending thank you cards, making phone calls, managing social media accounts, writing emails) 

And maybe even involving young alumni in college who can virtually help! (ex. Coaching CDE teams, judging CDE teams, proofreading applications, big event clean up/take down, recruitment presentations, young alumni guest speakers) 

Help doesn’t have to be in person! (ex. CDE coaching/judging, guest speakers, monetary help, officer application judging)

2️⃣Pick your levels of involvement

While some things require more experience and authority, there are plenty of levels of involvement for delegating in the FFA world.

Here are some examples of differing levels of involvement for help! 

Low: We all know that food gets kids to show up to everything! So use your local senior citizens at an old folks home to prepare food and beverages for FFA meetings!

We each have those end-of-the-year banquets that require set up and clean up, so get a group of parent supporters to bring their students early and stay after to help. Need a guest speaker who might not be nearby?

Guest speakers can show up to your classrooms “virtually” from anywhere through an online platform like Zoom! The sky is the limit on low-level delegation. 

Medium: As you get closer to award application season, use your community and industry professionals or advisory council to proofread papers/award apps, have college students Zoom (for mentorship, or to train teams), in-person guest speakers to motivate your members, send letters for financial or physical sponsorship at a banquet or for an award/scholarship.

High: Don’t coach it yourself, let the expert do it! Have a community coach prepare your CDE or LDE teams. Have someone transport or drive your students to contests/road shows and chaperone overnight trips. 

3️⃣Learn from it

When you ask for help and delegate to others it is truly a learning moment. 

You might realize that it didn’t work out so well or it knocked your socks off. All of these outcomes from delegating tasks are opportunities for you to learn! That might mean learning how to do the task better or even learning how to delegate more effectively!

Here is the truth: Some people are better at certain things than you. You are not an expert in everything you need to do as an ag teacher. Good news, you don’t have to be!

When you decide to hand over some control to others you might just learn a thing or two from those people. This might look like delegating a CDE team to an expert coach, delegating a guest speaker to teach about a certain topic in your classroom, or delegating copy editing of applications to an English teacher or friend who LOVES writing. 

In all of these scenarios, you are attached to the event or outcome of the delegation. You will be present at some CDE practices so you are learning alongside the students, you are listening as the guest speaker teaches your class and you get to review the copy edits of those pesky applications. 

As you observe and reflect on those instances you are gaining knowledge in those areas that might have caused you problems in the past. And you will be better for it instead of avoiding that work or hating it the entire time you struggle through it. 

It is also important to reflect on your delegation. You need to learn what is worth delegating and what isn’t.

One thing you need to keep in mind while delegating is you must teach the expectations to the people you are delegating to. Yes, that even means if you are delegating to an adult like an industry member, student teacher, or Alumni member. You might realize that some delegated tasks were almost too much work for you to delegate (like how hard it is to sub-plan when you are sick and you tend to just go to school anyway). 

Take time to reflect upon those delegated tasks and ask yourself: 

• “Did this help lighten my load?” 

• “Did the work get done to a satisfactory level?”

•  “Would I do this again?” 

If the answers are mostly yes then delegate again!

If the answers are mostly no then think about reworking your delegation strategy (maybe change who you delegate to or up your training/expectations for your helper) or decide to delete that activity (if possible)

At the end of the day if you don't know something yet or it is something that others could do just as well as you, delegate and learn!