| Spotlight on Youth - April 2, 2008 |
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FFA offers grants and awards for community service
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. The National FFA Organization announced that it will award grants to FFA chapters and members across the country who wish to serve their communities.
Living to Serve is an overarching program encouraging civic engagement and community service in rural areas. Sponsored by the National FFA Organization through grant funding from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Living to Serve program will provide more than $130,000 in grants and awards to chapters or members nationwide.
We believe in the power behind these programs and have increased the number of grants offered, said Damon Spight, Program Manager for the National FFA Organization. Some of these opportunities have been available in the past.
But with increased dollar amounts and an easier application process, we hope to see a boost in participation from teachers and students.
The grants allow FFA members to expand or initiate community development and service-learning projects. They encourage students to include outreach and education activities, public relations efforts and a diversity focus within their service projects.
The individual programs include: Living to Serve Diversity Grants, National FFA Days of Service grants, Partners in Active Learning Support (PALS) grants, Washington Leadership Conference service activity grants and the Million Hour Challenge awards. More details can be found online at www.ffa.org/ltsgrants
For more information on any of the Living to Serve programs, contact Damon Spight at 317-802-4402 or dspight@ffa.org
Kentucky Ag Commissioner honors poster, essay winners
FRANKFORT, Ky. Kentucky schoolchildren were honored for their artistic and literary expressions of How the Kentucky Department of Agriculture Works For Me at the 2008 Kentucky Agriculture Day Luncheon on Tuesday, March 25 at the Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History in Frankfort, Ky.
Statewide winners in kindergarten through eighth grade were awarded $100 savings bonds from Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer. They wrote essays and created posters describing the many services the Department provides to the citizens of Kentucky.
The poster winners in each grade were: kindergarten Parker Medley, Utica Elementary; first grade Devan Hammack, Brandenburg Primary; second grade William and Sarah Caldbeck (tie), Whitesville Elementary; Third grade Rachel Thomas, Utica Elementary; fourth grade Christopher Evan Clark, Deer Park Elementary, Owensboro, Ky.; fifth grade Leslie Pike, Seton Home Study School, Hodgenville, Ky.; sixth grade Mary Elizabeth Rafi, Adairville School; seventh grade Houston Gillenwater, Monroe County Middle, Tompkinsville, Ky.; and eighth grade Lorelynn Caudill, Christian County Middle, Hopkinsville, Ky.
The essay winners in each grade were: kindergarten Morgan Vanover, Utica Elementary; first grade Ysayah Helton, Hall Elementary, Grays Knob; second grade William Caldbeck, Whitesville Elementary; third grade Rebecca Caldbeck, Whitesville Elementary; fourth grade Mariah Hughes, Hiseville Elementary; fifth grade Lianna Spurrier, Chenoweth Elementary, Louisville, Ky.; sixth grade Zackery Robinson, Saint Paul Elementary, Leitchfield, Ky.; seventh grade Daniel Yeiser, College View Middle, Owensboro, Ky. and eighth grade Meredith Tapp, Bourbon County Middle, Paris, Ky.
To see the winning posters and essays, or for more information on the annual poster and essay contest, go to the KDA website, www.kyagr.com
Jersey juniors encouraged to enter speaking contest
REYNOLDSBURG, Ohio Monday, June 2, 2008 is the deadline for Jersey youth to enter the 3rd national Jersey public speaking competition, TalkJersey, to be held during the Annual Meetings of the American Jersey Cattle Association and National All-Jersey Inc. in Asheville, N.C.
The contest is open to all AJCA Junior or Lifetime Members, ages 7 through 20 as of Jan. 1, 2008. The judging will be held on Thursday, June 26 at Piedmont Jersey Farm, Lincolnton, N.C., starting at 6:30 p.m. The contest will be preceded by a fun workshop for all Jersey youth attending the annual meetings on Wednesday, June 25.
Juniors will be divided into groups by their age on Jan. 1, 2008: I 7 to 10 years; II 11 to 13 years; III 14 to 16; and IV 17 and older. Presentations must be the individual work of the contestants. The topic can be any aspect of the registered Jersey business, including current affairs and dairy industry trends.
Division I (7-10 years) juniors present demonstrations between 4 and 6 minutes in length. Posters may be used in addition to demonstration materials. Juniors in Divisions II, III and IV present speeches between 5 and 7 minutes in length. Visual aids are not allowed. Speaker notes are permitted. No more than four notecards may be used.
The contest entry form is posted on the USJersey website (www.usjersey.com) under the Jersey Youth and Student Projects heading. |
| 4/2/2008 |
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