Clarke Central High School FFA members stand outside of the University of Georgia Aquaponics on Feb. 28. National FFA week was between Feb. 19 and 26, but the CCHS FFA chapter is celebrating between Feb. 27 and March 5. “National FFA week is to bring awareness to the FFA Organization. (And to) be able to not only raise awareness, but also give insight to those that may be not familiar with our organization and how it works, showcase different aspects and things that we do, not only throughout our community, but within our school itself to obtain a higher membership,” career, technical and agricultural education department teacher and FFA adviser Levi Carr said. “But also to find (and thank) those leaders throughout our community and school organizations.” Photo courtesy of Levi Carr
The CCHS FFA program is holding activities between Feb. 27 and March 5 to celebrate National FFA week and their program.
The Clarke Central High School FFA chapter is celebrating their National FFA week between Feb. 27 and March 5, with each day having a different theme.
While National FFA week was Feb. 19 to 26, each agriculture program is required to participate in their own FFA week celebrations. As Feb. 21 was a school holiday, the CCHS FFA pushed their FFA week back to allow a full week of time to appreciate the program and celebrate the progressiveness of the FFA organization.
“There’s many different ways that you can go about National FFA week but we primarily use it as not only a school outreach week about the awareness of FFA and our program and our activities,” career, technical and agricultural education department teacher and FFA adviser Levi Carr said. “We also get its members involved throughout our community as well.”
“To me, (National FFA week) helps bring more people to the FFA program and to bring awareness of how the program is good and how we should have people come.”
— Kathleen Dykes,
FFA Vice President and sophomore
An infographic shows the activities that the Clarke Central High School FFA chapter will be doing for their National FFA week between Feb. 27 and March 5. National FFA week has recognized the program and celebrated the advancements of agriculture. “I think of (FFA week) as something that I am in like it’s a club but also I get to share my experiences through that,” FFA Vice President and sophomore Kathleen Dykes said. “And what it means to the whole FFA organization (is that) we get to show them what it means cause not everyone knows what (FFA) means.” Infographic by Maya Clement
Throughout the week, FFA will be hosting and participating in a variety of events with each day having a different theme.
“I think that it is important that everyone, including those that are unfamiliar with agriculture, obtain an understanding of where their food comes from,” Carr said. “(People should) also understand that agriculture is just not plants and animals, that there are much more things out there that involve that, such as marketing.”
According to FFA Vice President and sophomore Kathleen Dykes, the importance of National FFA week is to attract new members and celebrate the current members of the program.
“To me, (National FFA week) helps bring more people to the FFA program and to bring awareness of how the program is good and how we should have people come. It gives them an opportunity to be in something else different than some other clubs,” Dykes said.
Carr believes that people can appreciate National FFA week through initiatives on social media platforms, activities happening throughout the community and acknowledging the effect agriculture has on people.
“I think that people should care about National FFA week as we mark a historical time (in agriculture development). Another year of success in agricultural education, as it all started out as something minute and it’s grown into something so large across every state in the United States of America,” Carr said. “So it’s been a great opportunity to raise awareness in schools, homes and communities about agricultural education, about the FFA Organization and agriculture as a whole.”
