High school students from all 50 states are traveling to D.C. to advocate for agricultural education
Every year, thousands of FFA members from across the United States gather in Washington, D.C., for the Washington Leadership Conference (WLC), a premier leadership experience for high school students that exposes them to the rich history of our nation’s capital. This year’s conference, taking place between June 3-July 11, offers five week-long blocks that students can choose from. More than 1,600 students and 262 chaperones have registered.
WLC, which has been taking place for more than 50 years, inspires FFA members to become changemakers in their communities. A key aspect of the conference is for the students to learn how to advocate for agriculture and agricultural education, and this is accomplished through congressional visits and meeting in-person with their state representatives and senators. Attendees also have the opportunity to visit national landmarks like the U.S. Capitol, Arlington National Cemetery, National Mall, and Smithsonian Museums.
Each day of the conference focuses on a different principle taught through the context of our nation’s capital: exploration, encouragement, advocacy and service. At the end of the week, attendees leave with a Living to Serve plan they can implement in their communities. Last year, 1,201 FFA members reported developing a Living to Serve plan, and here are a few Living to Serve success stories from recent conferences:
CALIFORNIA – Patrick Palmer of the Clovis FFA Chapter attended the WLC in 2023 and focused his Living to Serve plan on educating elementary-aged students in the local Fresno community by traveling to their elementary schools in an education mobile. His project, Agriculture on Wheels, collaborates with local elementary school teachers to determine the lessons.
MINNESOTA – Kaiya Grossman of Minnesota’s Grand Rapids FFA Chapter attended the WLC in 2022 and her Living to Serve plan was geared toward bridging the gap between urban and rural Minnesota and reducing mental health and substance abuse issues in students throughout the state.
MISSOURI – Macy Bader of the Hermann FFA Chapterattended the WLC in 2022 and her plan centered around creating a Farm Safety Day for her high school. The day offered education about grain bin safety, gun safety, boat/water safety, electric safety, big truck safety, driving safety, and ATV safety. She hopes to expand the event to middle school students in the future.
The 2025 Washington Leadership Conference is sponsored by Corteva, Farm Credit, Growth Energy, and Syngenta. For more information, visit FFA.org/WLC.
