Items in this listserv:

HOT TOPICS - MUST KNOW:

• HOT, HOT, HOT - State Officer Candidate and Parent Orientation - Saturday, February 8, 2025, from 1:oo p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Click here to RSVP.

• HOT, HOT, HOT - FFA CENTER CLOSED On Tuesday, February 18, 2025, the Illinois FFA Center will be closed for an office FFA archiving day - we are digging through treasures of the past and preparing to celebrate 100 years.  

• TOASTY - 2025 Illinois FFA Selection Committee

The Illinois FFA Selection Committee is an amazing opportunity for FFA members and friends of the FFA, click here to check out an awesome video about being on the Selection Committee.  The State FFA Officer Selection Committee application is due March 15, 2025.  If you have students who are interested in being on the 2025 Selection Committee click here to apply.   Click here for a flyer to show your students so they can learn more about the selection committee.

• MILD - Section President Candidate Orientation and Mandatory Survey - Listserv sent on 12/10/2024 - In the role of being a Section President on the state officer team, there are many responsibilities and an extensive summer schedule, to set our future Section Presidents up for success and make them aware of those responsibilities, expectations and time commitments we are having a Section President Candidate Orientation Webinar on Thursday, March 20, 2024, at 5:30 p.m.

• LUKE Warm - National Chapter Award - DUE April 1, 2025, and MUST be SUBMITTED, need a REMINDER on how to submit?  Click Here.  Great news, the January State Scoop podcast special guest is Trent Taber, Cambridge FFA provides insight and advice on the National Chapter Award.  It’s COMING SOON!

****NEW Information****

1. Agriscience Project HELP Needed

2. Apply for a Smithfield Chapter Grant

3. Illinois FFA Agriscience Fair Registration Now Open

1. Agriscience Project HELP Needed

Ag teachers,

Addison Harms is a North Scott (Iowa) FFA member working on a science fair project in conjunction with her advisor Jacob Hunter, Dr. Neil Knobloch (Purdue University), and her mother Brea (Nelson) Harms. As part of her work, she has a survey, and she is inviting ag teachers to take part. Due to Dr. Knobloch’s and her mom’s connections, she is specifically inviting teachers from Iowa, Illinois, and Indiana to take part, but she would welcome ag teachers from anywhere in the country to participate.

The survey (Various Job Stressors for Ag Teachers/FFA Advisors) has three parts and will take ~10 minutes. The previous link will take you to the survey. If that doesn’t work, participants can copy and paste this into their browsers https://forms.gle/LEyPnLR2REkvW1bz5.

Thanks for considering completing this and sharing with teachers in other states via your social media if you’d like. 

-Addison Harms, NSHS, Class of 2026

****NOTICE, any Agriscience student needing to send out information to teachers or the masses who support Illinois Agricultural Education, we will send out a listserv much like this one - don’t hesitate to email mbunselmeyer@illinoisffa.org

2. Apply for a Smithfield Chapter Grant

Smithfield is partnering with FFA chapters to provide funds for increasing belonging and engagement, breaking down financial barriers by providing chapter operations funds and supporting community service projects focusing on food insecurity. The program is open and accepting applications on a rolling basis. Funds will be distributed quarterly. Apply.

3. Illinois FFA Agriscience Fair - Registration is Now Open! 

We invite members to register for the Illinois FFA Agriscience Fair now through
April 15, 2025. Full details regarding how to register and the event can be found
on the Illinois FFA Agriscience webpage.

**** PREVIOUS Information Shared - WORTH Sharing Again****

• PREVIOUS LISTSERVS - CLICK HERE to view - 2024 - 2025 School Year

• CLICK HERE to view - the 2023 - 2024 School Year Previous Listservs

• 2024-25 State CDE/LDE Calendar - Added New Event - 1-27-25

• All Conference Event Information, Flyers, Required Forms, Registration Information

• 2025 State FFA Convention Wyndham Hotel Room Block Link (PAL Full)

*Please NOTE that clicking Dates & Deadlines will take you to the www.ilaged.org calendar.  

• February 4, 2025 - Ground Zero Conference #2, JJC, Joliet, IL

• February 6, 2025 - Ground Zero Conference, Effingham, IL

• February 7, 2025 - State Horse CDE, Black Hawk College, East Campus, Galva, IL

• February 8, 2025 - State FFA Officer Candidate & Parent Orientation, IL FFA Center, Springfield

• February 10-12, 2025 - American FFA Degree Interviews, IL FFA Center, Springfield, IL

• February 13, 2025 - Spring PAS Conference, Heartland Community College, Normal, IL

• February 15, 2025 - State Meats & Evaluation CDE Early Bird Registration ENDS

• February 15, 2025 - State Vet Science CDE Early Bird Registration ENDS

• February 15, 2025 - State Meats & Vet Science CDE Special Accommodations Form DUE

• February 15, 2025 - State Ag Ed CDE Lesson Plans DUE

• February 16-23, 2025 - National FFA Week

• February 18, 2025 - FFA Center CLOSED - FFA Archiving and Organizing Day

• March 1, 2025 - Alumni Rosters & Dues DUE

• March 1, 2025 - Sam Taylor Scholarship Applications DUE

• March 1, 2025 - IL FFA Alumni Camp Scholarship Applications & Letter of Recommendations DUE

• March 1, 2025 - State Officer Applications DUE

• March 1-2, 2025 - Products Expo, IL State Fairgrounds, Springfield, IL

• March 6, 2025 - District Proficiencies

• March 7, 2025 - Women Changing the Face of Agriculture, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL

• March 17, 2025 - Spring Middle School Conference, Sauk Valley College Registration ENDS

• March 19, 2025 -   Spring Middle School Conference, Rend Lake College Registration ENDS

• March 21, 2025 -  Spring Middle School Conference, Lincoln Land Community College Registration ENDS

• March 21, 2025 - State Dairy Cattle CDE Mandatory Registration ENDS

• March 21, 2025 - Special Accommodations Form for State Dairy Cattle CDE DUE

• March 22, 2025 - State Awards Day, Mt. Zion High School, Mt. Zion, IL

• March 29, 2025 - State Food Science CDE Mandatory Registration ENDS

• March 31, 2025-Spring Middle School Conference, Sauk Valley College, Dixon, IL

• April 1, 2025 - National Chapter Applications DUE

• April 1, 2025 - Eldon Witt Scholarship Applications DUE

• April 1, 2025 - Honorary State FFA Degree Applications DUE

• April 2, 2025 - Spring Middle School Conference, Rend Lake, Ina, IL

• April 4, 2025 - State Dairy Cattle CDE, Livingston County Fairgrounds, 18142 4H Park Rd, Pontiac, IL

• April 4, 2025 - Spring Middle School Conference, LLCC, Springfield, IL

• April 9, 2025 - Invitational Marketing Plan Materials DUE