Thousands of FFA members from throughout the country converged on Washington, D.C., this summer to analyze their personal skills and interests, develop leadership skills and create a meaningful community service plan that will make a difference in their
home communities.
More than 2,100 students attended the 2016 Washington Leadership Conference, the second-largest student experience that the National FFA Organization hosts each year.
Osceola Big Chief FFA had one member participate in this year’s Washington Leadership Conference. Nathan Manternach received a scholarship from the Iowa FFA Alumni to attend this year’s conference.
Created in 1969 and held annually in Washington, D.C., this year’s conference began June 7 at the Omni Shoreham Hotel. Since 1969, the National FFA Organization has hosted this student leadership event.
Members spent a week under the guidance of professionals, counselors and FFA staff members.
In workshops, seminars and small groups, students focused on identifying and developing their personal strengths and goals while undergoing comprehensive leadership training that will help them guide their local FFA chapters.
Students also analyzed the needs of their communities back home, developed a wide-ranging and high-impact community-service initiative and will implement their plan with the help of their FFA chapter upon returning home.
Students in recent years have promoted agricultural literacy; brought awareness to abuse; collected and distributed shoes to individuals in Haiti; created an awareness plan on hunger, and more.
Manternach’s “Living to Serve Plan” is to work with the community to increase agricultural awareness by using his passion for the sheep industry. He wants to provide hands on demonstrations along with learning presentations that increase the public’s awareness of agriculture, specifically the sheep industry.
During their time in D.C., FFA members experienced the history of the nation's capital, touring landmarks including the Washington Monument, War Memorial, the National Mall, Arlington National Cemetery and the U.S. Capitol, among others. Students also had the
opportunity for Congressional visits during the week.
Manternach said, "Receiving the opportunity to travel to Washington D.C to learn how to be an effective leader has truly been a life changing event. WLC has shown me how to make a difference in the world around me. During the conference we focused our thoughts around our nation's 26th president, Theodore Roosevelt, 'To do what we can,
with what we have, where we are.' Connecting our passion with a need in our community we developed Living to Serve Plans."
The 2016 Washington Leadership Conference is sponsored through the National FFA Foundation by title sponsors Monsanto and CSX and weekly sponsors, Farm Credit, Growth Energy and Express Professional Employment. For more information, visit www.FFA.org/WLC.