The Leadership and Learning Initiative (LLI) is the foundation’s effort to ensure that all FFA members have access to leadership development at the chapter, district, and state levels.

 
“Leaders are made rather than born.”
— Warren Bennis
 

Supporting the Leadership and Learning Initiative helps students access leadership development opportunities across the state by funding a variety of activities produced by the Washington FFA Association. We believe that investing in our students is one of the most effective means of ensuring positive change in our state. Join us in supporting student leadership development today.

The Leadership and Learning Initiative’s objectives are to:

  • Encourage self-confidence at an early age through leadership development opportunities

  • Increase the number of high school students who enroll in higher education after graduating

  • Develop the next generation of leaders in agriculture and our local communities

evergreen Tour

This statewide leadership training is available to all FFA members.  Led by the state officer team, the Blue and Gold Tour visits each of the nine FFA districts within Washington in September and October of each school year. The state officers, our national FFA officer candidate, and other FFA leaders present workshops designed to prepare students for a successful year.

EVERGREEN Tour Objectives:

  • Discuss the purpose of personal and group leadership skills

  • Participate in personal goal setting

  • Demonstrate creative and critical thinking skills

  • Participate in demonstrating how to work cooperatively w/others

  • Participate in group goal setting

Emerge Leadership camp

These two mini-conferences are open to all FFA members. They are facilitated with coordination from the Washington FFA Association and are held in locations in both Eastern/Central WA and one in Western Washington over a two-day period.

Emerge Leadership Conference

The 212 Degrees training is designed for 9th and 10th graders. It seeks to bring students to the "boiling point of leadership." This conference focuses on student development and challenges attendees to push their limits. Themes include: virtues, growth and collaboration. Objectives include:

  • Comparing virtues and values

  • Determine personal and core virtues

  • Comparing daily decisions to core virtues & implement the key to good decision making

  • Developing a plan for action and choose an accountability partner

Emerge- Advanced Track

Created for high school juniors and seniors, the 360 Degrees conference takes students full circle in chapter leadership development. The training covers every angle for developing strategic action plans for their chapters.
Objectives include:

  • Defining vision and the vision process

  • Implementing the vision process while evaluating their chapter’s needs based on the Program of Activities

  • Developing a plan to enhance their chapter by addressing individual, chapter and community needs

  • Identifying tools to mobilize others to action

District Officer Training

This weekend of intensive leadership training and team building is designed and facilitated by the Washington FFA State Officers, Executive Director, and State Advisor. It is available to each of the nine district officer teams, and is held over a two-day period.

District Office Training Objectives

  • Understand the empowerment process

  • Demonstrate consensus decision making

  • Develop group facilitation skills

  • Demonstrate brainstorming skills

  • Conduct effective small group meetings

  • Understand large group organizational skills

  • Demonstrate effective human relation skills in the workplace

State Officer Training

BLAST-Off

This leadership training is provided to the newly-elected Washington FFA State Officer team by trainers from the National FFA Organization. This is the first in a series of training for newly elected state officers.  The conference objectives are to assist state officers in:

  • Identifying personal strengths

  • Developing personal growth plans

  • In writing and delivering master speeches

  • Developing personal management skills.

National Leadership Conference for State Officers (NLCSO)

The leadership conference is the second in the series of state officer training. NLCSO is presented at ten regional locations throughout the country. Building on the individual skills learned during BLAST-Off, it helps officer teams identify their strengths and weaknesses as a group, and learn advanced interpersonal communication strategies and presentation delivery techniques.  The curriculum for the three-and-a-half day conference focuses on :

  • Developing teams and improving team performance

  • Developing, delivering and evaluating presentations

  • Building relationships between local, state and national FFA