Members Compete at 2017 State LDE Contest
Monday, January 15, 2018 | Author: Texas FFA News
On December 1-2, 2017 FFA members and advisors from across the Lone Star State made their way to Huntsville, TX for the finals of the 2017 Texas FFA Leadership Development Events (LDEs).
LDEs focus on creating situations for members to demonstrate their abilities in public speaking, decision making, critical thinking, communication and their knowledge of agriculture and the FFA organization. Team and individual events are used to reinforce lessons taught in the agricultural science classroom. In 2017 there were 5,572 team entries at the district level.
LDEs operate in tournament style, with elimination rounds beginning at the district-level. The top two teams in each of the 13 events at the district-level advance to area competition, and the top two teams in the area contest advance to the state contest.
“While students compete to be named the state winner in these events, the real winning happens when they are able to take the skills that they have learned through an LDE and apply them in other contexts,” said Austin Large, Texas FFA Executive Director.
The state event, hosted by Sam Houston State University, brings the top 20 individuals and teams together to compete for a coveted 1st place banner, and in certain events, the opportunity to represent the Texas FFA Association at the national level in Indianapolis, IN the October of the following year.
“Critical thinking, team work, and effective communication are a few of the many skills employers are looking for in new recruits,” said Large. “LDEs challenge FFA members to develop in these areas, and provide a competitive advantage over their peers as they seek entry a career professional.”
The mission statement of the FFA is to “develop student potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education.” LDEs are a key in helping the organization achieve the career success tenant of the FFA mission.
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