FFA Chapters Bring Agriculture to Life for Nebraska Classrooms Through Connecting Chapters

At this year’s State FFA Convention, a sea of blue jackets filled the stage as 92 chapters from across Nebraska were recognized, not just for their achievements, but for the impact they’ve made far beyond their own classrooms.

Through the Connecting Chapters program, these FFA members have stepped into a different kind of role: teacher.

“Ninety-two FFA chapters were recognized at the State FFA Convention for completing this year’s Connecting Chapters program,” said Nebraska Farm Bureau Foundation Director of Education Brooke Carpenter. “It’s a Nebraska Farm Bureau Foundation initiative that brings high school students into elementary classrooms to teach where food comes from and why it matters.”

Inside those classrooms, learning looks a little different. Younger students flip through storybooks about agriculture, take part in hands-on activities, and ask questions about the farms and ranches that surround their communities. Leading those lessons are FFA members: students who, just a few years earlier, may have been sitting in those same seats.

Since its launch in 2017, the program has grown steadily, more than doubling in participation. That growth reflects something deeper than numbers: a rising commitment among Nebraska students to serve, lead, and share their story.

“Connecting Chapters matters because it reaches students early,” Carpenter added. “It helps them better understand the role farmers and ranchers play in everyday life while opening the door to future careers.”

But the impact doesn’t stop with students. The program is also strengthening connections between schools, local Farm Bureau leaders, and communities, ensuring that conversations about agriculture continue long after a single classroom visit ends.

In towns across Nebraska, those conversations are planting seeds of understanding that will last for years to come.

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