​Ithaca, NY: Cornell University’s Agriculture Education and Outreach program is excited to announce the 2017 “Agriculture Education Incentive Grant for New and Growing Programs.”  This program will provide local school-based agricultural education programs with grant awards to secure necessary resources for a high-quality agricultural education program.  These resources may include, but are not limited to: curriculum development, professional development, program development, resource acquisitions, and program coordination. Shari Lighthall, Director of the Agriculture Education and Outreach program stated, “The procurement of these funds will allow our programs to improve the technology available in their classroom, to purchase equipment that would otherwise be too expensive, and to offer students additional opportunities to experience leadership workshops and conferences across the state.”
 
The application for the Agriculture Education Incentive Grant for New and Growing Programs is available under the “Teacher” section of the New York FFA Association website.  Applications will be accepted throughout the fall of 2017 and awards will be announced in January 2018. For inquires and questions, interested schools should contact Kaylie Siddall, grant program manager, at ksiddall@cornell.edu .  The Agriculture Education Incentive Grant would not be possible without program supporters such as Cornell University, New York State Farm Bureau, NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets, and New York State Education Department.
 
Agriculture education is a unique part of career and technical education that strives to enhance student education through the three-circle model of agricultural education.  The three-circle model includes: Classroom Instruction, FFA, and Supervised Agricultural Experiences (work-based learning). Currently, there are 176 schools offering agricultural education programs to over 10,000 students across New York State.  In addition to schools that are already offering agriculture education programs, there are over sixty additional school districts hoping to start an agricultural education program.  For more information regarding New York Agriculture Education, please visit our website at www.nysffa.org .
 
To apply as a New Program, click New Program application
 
To apply as a Growing Program, click Growing Program application

NEW YORK ASSOCIATION OF FFA  300 KENNEDY HALL,  CORNELL UNIVERSITY, ITHACA, NY 14853 Derek Hill, NY FFA Director dhill@cornell.edu | www.nysffa.org  (607) 254-2880   

PRESS RELEASE For Immediate Release For more information contact: New York FFA Phone: 607-254-2880 Email: dhill@cornell.edu  

New York FFA State Convention  Morrisville, NY | May 11-13, 2017  New York FFA announces our 92nd State Convention on the Morrisville State College campus.  State Officer Taylor McNamara “can't wait to come together again in May as one big FFA family to recognize members for all their hard work throughout the year and celebrate New York FFA!” This “one big FFA family” will consist of nearly 1200 students and over 300 advisors and guests.  

Set in the heart of upstate New York, we are excited to return to Morrisville with new opportunities. FFA members will be participating in local community service-learning projects including a playground build. State Officer Katie Killenbeck shares “I'm most excited about our service project! It is for a great cause, our No Member Fights Alone campaign. Members will be able to join us in a nighttime glow run/ walk to show their support and raise awareness for the fight against childhood cancer! It's going to be Legendary!” Service projects will support cancer research for all of our citizens. Students and adults from across the state will participate in career and leadership development contests and engage with agricultural colleges, business and industry representatives. Seth Browe, State Officer notes, “I recommend that every FFA member goes to State Convention, not only will it be Legendary, there is something for everyone. From workshops, CDE's, talent and so much more.” Speakers include Ashley Willits, currently serving as a National FFA Officer and the Keynote Speakers will be the Peterson Brothers. For entertainment, we have an evening concert with country musician Jerrod Niemann, and an evening Fun Run followed by fireworks!   

With over 4300 members, New York FFA’s annual convention recognizes all of our members amazing accomplishments for the 2016-17 school year. Our programs support agricultural education in New York by incorporating leadership conferences, scholarship programs, career development and investment of time in our young leaders, which helps to develop confidence, skills and passion as our students move on to college and careers in agriculture. As noted by State President Camille Ledoux “Convention is a special time of year for FFA members to come together and celebrate all the work we have put in throughout the year. It is a gathering of great people, great minds and the culmination of a lot of hard work and dedication.”  

The New York State FFA Association is a youth organization that provides premiere leadership, personal growth and career success opportunities to students enrolled in agricultural education.  It is a part of the National FFA Organization, which boasts over a half of a million members nationally.  New York agricultural education is found in public, private and BOCES schools throughout the state, offers instruction in courses ranging from small animal care to farm business management and from pre-veterinary science to natural resources management. For more information regarding New York FFA and this year’s convention, please visit our website: www.nysffa.org.  

 ITHACA, NY-Ashley Willits, a past New York State FFA President has been elected by the delegates at the 89th National FFA Convention to serve as the Eastern Region Vice President as a member of the 2016-17 National Officer team. Ashley is the first female member from New York to be elected as a National Officer and only the 13th member from New York to hold a national office.   
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Ashley Willits grew up in northern New York and is graduate of Lowville Academy Central School. Ashely attended Morrisville State College where she earned a degree in agricultural business and now attends Tarleton State University as an agricultural education major.  She served as state FFA president during her senior year at Lowville in 2013-14, then that fall was one of 75 people nationwide selected to participate in a trip to South Africa organized through the organization’s International Leadership Seminar for State Officers.  

The process to be elected as a National Officer is extremely rigorous. Ashley has been preparing for this moment since she zipped up her first corduroy jacket. Her parents, Jennifer and Melvin Phelps, both agricultural educators have raised an astounding young lady that is such an inspiration for so many of our members. This quote from Seth Browe, 16-17 NYS FFA Vice President, is the perfect example of this, “Ashley said this to me in Getman Lodge on Wednesday of week 3 at camp, ‘whatever happens I'll be happy, but if I don't get elected I don't want people to say sorry, because I'll know that I did the best job I could do.’ It was at this moment I knew that New York would have a National Officer. Congratulations Ashley, you earned it!” There are multiple rounds to the selection process, from the application to delivering a speech, to facilitating a workshop with high school students. The nominating committee is made up of student members from around the country. The New York FFA State Executive Secretary, Derek Hill, had this to say, “This is the most extensive interview process that I have ever seen and will prepare these students not only for the year ahead but for their future careers”.   

National Officers are required to take a year off from College to serve the nearly 650,000 FFA members across the United States. Ashley will spend the next year traveling over 300 days and over 100,000 miles spreading the positive influence that FFA has on its members. The six officers will speak with “business and industry leaders, thousands of FFA members and teachers, corporate sponsors, government and education officials, state FFA leaders, the general public and more,” states a release from the organization. “The team will lead personal growth and leadership training conferences for FFA members throughout the country and help set policies that will guide the future of FFA and promote agricultural literacy.”  
Joining Willits on the 2016-17 National FFA Officer team are: President - David Townsend, University of Delaware; Secretary – Victoria Harris, University of Florida; Southern Region Vice President – DeShawn Blanding, North Carolina A&T State University; Western Region Vice President – Trey Elizondo, Texas A&M University; Central Region Vice President – Valerie Earley, University of Minnesota.
 
The New York FFA Association and all of its members, educators, staff, friends and supporters are proud and excited that one of our members has reached such a monumental achievement. We wish her all the best as she focuses on the extraordinary journey ahead and we can’t wait to see the incredible impact that she will have on FFA members, agricultural education and the agricultural industry.   

For more information about this year’s National Officer Team, FFA or agricultural education please visit the following websites: www.ffa.org or  www.nysffa.org  
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Media Contacts: Taylor McNamara, 16-17 NYS FFA Reporter or Derek Hill, NYS FFA Executive Secretary, 607-254-2880 or dhill@cornell.edu  

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 Sincerely,
 
Shari Lighthall
NYS Agricultural Education and Outreach
Cornell University
Phone:  315-346-1222
slighthall@cornell.edu
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