FFA Members attend leadership camp in Sleepy Eye. Pictured l to r – Front: Nicole Koziolek (State FFA Secretary), Miah Brown, Winsten Nienhaus, Presley Bauer, Anna Ridenour (State FFA Reporter). Row 2: Wyatt Halvorson (State Vice President), Maddi Helget, Morgan Hoffmann, Nayzeth Luna, Brooke Arneson, Sean Martin, Kyle Thomas (State Treasurer). Back: Baleigh Peterson (State Sentinel), Leisha Martinez, Marcus Martinez, Alex Joramo, Ellen Windschitl, Emily Matejka (State President).
Summer 2021 has been marked by a return to activity after nearly a year and a half of restrictions. July 26 – August 6 found Minnesota FFA members taking advantage of a brand new opportunity – one-day events held in seven locations across Minnesota.
Twelve Sleepy Eye FFA members ranging from 8th – 12th grade participated in the one day camp in Sleepy Eye.
“After the challenges of 2020 and 2021, we knew that we needed to help students take the step toward engaging in in-person opportunities and that it might require us to reimagine how we’ve traditionally delivered state level leadership events,” Minnesota FFA’s Executive Director Juleah Tolosky said.
For much of 2020 and the beginning of 2021, Minnesota FFA programs were developed as virtual or hybrid experiences to safeguard not only the health and safety of individual students, but the schools they would return to. The alleviation of restrictions at the end of spring made it possible to imagine in-person events that would reengage students in activities on the local, regional and state levels.
Partners throughout Minnesota opened their doors to make the events possible. Braham High School, Central Lakes College in Staples, Ridgewater College in Willmar, Sleepy Eye Public High School, North Dakota State University, Kingsland High School in Spring Valley and South Central College in Mankato all committed time and space. The Minnesota FFA Foundation and Minnesota FFA Alumni committed funds to keep participation fees as low as possible.
“I am thankful not only that we get to interact with FFA members in person but that we get to do it in a setting that lets us experience the local culture of so many of our partners and programs,” State FFA Secretary Nicole Koziolek shared. Whether seeing program highlights in Braham, getting hands-on career exploration in Staples or Willmar or celebrating Minnesota’s Agricultural Education Teacher of the Year in Sleepy Eye, events held throughout the state allowed the student leaders to experience the diverse achievements and opportunities available to Minnesota FFA members.
“Our goal is to provide an experience that lights the fire underneath FFA members again after a long period of time where almost every event felt like it was cancelled. We want students to return to the upcoming year eager to grab opportunities and lead their schools. We want them to know that it is okay to be excited, again… and we also want them to know that we all have some room for growth and we need to take responsibility for seizing those opportunities if we want them to happen.”
FFA members participated in activities focused on leading after difficulty, recruiting others, evaluating their chapter’s strengths and opportunities, recognizing opportunity, taking ownership of their attitude and levelling up their personal FFA experience.