Little Switzerland FFA members attend District Conference ...

Each year Northeast District and Iowa FFA officers plan and facilitate Greenhand Fire Up Conferences for FFA members in the Northeast District. Waverly-Shell Rock High School in Waverly welcomed FFA chapters from all over the Northeast District October 17, including 475 total members from 33 schools. The Little Switzerland FFA Chapter at Waukon High School had six members attend the event. Chapter member Alaina Gebel was asked to be a facilitator at the event and worked with Greenhand members on learning how to manage their priorities. Waukon FFA students in attendance included (left to right in the photo above): Owen Regan, Taylor Jackson, Kendra Gibbs, Tucker Burrichter, Trevor Block and Landon Burington.

While at Waverly-Shell Rock High School, district and state officers led four interactive workshops for first-year high school FFA members, also known as Greenhands, for the annual Greenhand Fire Up Conference. The workshops facilitated were leadership focused with an emphasis on the experiences that occur in the lives of beginning high school students. Iowa FFA President Sam Martin stated, “Greenhand Fire Up provides a chance for first-year high school members to get a sneak peek of the opportunities that FFA holds, and is a conference for members to meet and interact with state and district officers.”

The officers prepared and facilitated workshops focused on authenticity, balancing priorities, communication and FFA opportunities, in order to provide the first-year FFA members with skills they would use both within and outside of FFA. The goal was to engage FFA members in learning about the tools that would allow them to be successful in anything they are part of through high school and beyond. Greenhand Fire Up is made possible with support from the Iowa FFA Foundation. Submitted photo.