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.
