Year 3: Level Up: The “Level Up” Conference, geared towards junior FFA members, is a day-long training focused on building leadership capacity in students. Through the guidance of a trained facilitator, students will deepen their understanding and develop skills in the following competencies: 

Communicate Effectively and Purposefully

1. Listens actively using strategies like maintaining eye contact, having an open mind, restating, observing body language, and asking clarifying questions.

2. Uses language and communication strategies appropriate to specific situations and audiences. 

Think Critically

1. Devises original ideas to solve problems and improves on or develops new approaches through a variety of strategies including asking questions, brainstorming, and gathering feedback.

2. Identifies and analyzes problems objectively by being open-minded and impartial, considering evidence, and setting aside personal feelings. 

Lead with Character

1. Increases dependability through time management, prioritization, goal setting, and a strong work ethic. 

2. Motivates self by recognizing individual capacity to create change in their spheres of influence (family, school, community, and world) and adopting a positive view of personal happiness, including finding value in making a positive difference in the lives of others. 

Build Healthy Relationships

1. Seeks to establish and grow healthy, positive relationships with teachers, mentors, and peers to build trust and respect, have support and companionship, and receive input and advice.

2. Recognizes real and potential conflict and works to use strategies that avoid, de-escalate, and resolve conflicts peacefully and effectively. 

3. Contributes to teams by understanding strengths of teammates, building consensus, obtaining feedback from teammates, and encouraging teammates toward goals. 

Embrace a Growth Mindset

1. Seeks to learn from experiences and has a positive perception of mistakes, understanding, and applying the concept of failing forward. 

2. Engages in continual self-improvement by seeking positive and negative feedback and altering actions in response, identifying and eliminating bad habits, strengthening weak traits, and developing positive traits.

Year 4: Lead Out: The “Lead Out” Conference, geared towards senior FFA members, is a day-long training focused on building leadership capacity in students. Through the guidance of a trained facilitator, students will deepen their understanding and develop skills in the following competencies: 

Communicate Effectively and Purposefully

1. Speaks and presents using verbal and non-verbal techniques that ensure clarity, logic, purpose, and professionalism in both formal and informal settings. 

Think Critically

1. Demonstrates creative thinking and innovation through an openness to challenge assumptions, understand conflicting approaches, and willingness to bring new perspectives to existing problems and issues. 

2. Demonstrates the ability to make rational (logic-based), ethical (values-based), and effective decisions leading to the best possible result. 

3. Creates, implements, and evaluates action plans using resources (feedback, stakeholders, etc.) and structure (budget, timeline, etc.)  

Lead with Character

1. Motivates self by recognizing individual capacity to create change in their spheres of influence (family, school, community, and world) and adopting a positive view of personal happiness, including finding value in making a positive difference in the lives of others. 

Build Healthy Relationships

1. Demonstrates social awareness by seeking to understand the feelings and intents of others, understanding how the unique backgrounds and experiences of others impact their perspectives and responses, and perceiving how others react to their statements. 

Embrace a Growth Mindset

1. Seeks to learn from experiences and has a positive perception of mistakes, understanding, and applying the concept of failing forward. 

2. Demonstrates confidence in their abilities to learn and succeed, willingness to endure difficulties and failures, and assertiveness to state opinions in conversations.