Minnesota FFA News - March 2019

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Our goal is to provide you with a quick overview of upcoming opportunities through the Minnesota FFA and our partners. Below are leadership conference details, State FFA Convention opportunities, scholarships available, and more! If you have events, internships, contests or other information to share, please email it to minnesotaffa@gmail.com.

Leadership Opportunities

The purpose of the ambassador program is to provide a leadership program to Minnesota FFA members which will allow opportunities during State FFA Convention to interact and connect with FFA supporters, donors and potential sponsors. The program, in turn, gives industry representatives and donors the opportunity to interact with FFA members and to learn more about the FFA program and its mission.
Prospective ambassadors must complete an application by March 15. Each chapter may submit up to two ambassador applications. Applications will be judged and ambassadors will be announced by April 1. Judging will be based on FFA activities, advisor’s recommendation and the student’s Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE).

Ambassadors must attend the mandatory training on the Sunday of convention, starting at 2:00 p.m. on St. Paul Campus of the University of Minnesota. They will assist with events throughout convention.

Learn more and apply at-

http://www.mnffafoundation.org/Scholarships-amp-Opportunities/Foundation-Ambassador

Save the Date for Summer 2019 Conferences:
State Greenhand Leadership Conference: June 17 - 21
State Leadership Conference for Chapter Leaders: June 27 - 29 or June 30 - July 2
InTENse: July 15 - 19
POWER (Region Officers): July 29 - 31

Summer Conference Scholarships
Scholarship Applications are now online for summer camp experiences! Applications are made possible by funding and time volunteered by our FFA alumni. Applications are due April 15^th and are found here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeCBV4KX3298rPV-Rd4DcGl7CCiHw3v9P_xYZC_oTARV-4TwQ/viewform

Member Opportunities

Save the Date:

March 15: State Band and Chorus Applications due
Land of Service and Ag. Literacy Submissions due

April 15: National Officer Candidate Letter of Intent due
April 28-30: Minnesota FFA Convention in St. Paul/Minneapolis

June 17-21: State Greenhand Leadership Conference
June 26-28 and 30- July 2: State Leadership Conference for Chapter Leaders

July 15-19: InTENSE Conference
July 29-31: POWER Conference for Region Officers

August 1: Minnesota State Fair Training for Barnyard Attendants and Ambassadors for Leadership

Check out mnffa.org for more details!

State Convention Opportunities

Does your chapter teach others about agriculture? Do you have a display at the county fair or visit elementary classrooms? We want to hear about it! Your chapter will get recognized at State Convention just for sharing your Ag Literacy events at: https://form.jotform.com/MNFFA/19agliteracy. Applications due tomorrow, March 15!

Does your chapter do service projects throughout the year? We want to hear about it! Your chapter will get recognized at State Convention just for sharing your service events at: https://form.jotform.com/MNFFA/1819land-of-service. Applications due tomorrow, March 15!

Applications for the State Chorus during State FFA Convention are available and due March 15. Learn more at: https://www.mnffa.org/state-ffa-choir

Applications for the State Band during State FFA Convention are available and due March 15. Learn more at: https://www.mnffa.org/state-ffa-band

Scholarships

Titan Machinery Sponsorship Program
Titan Machinery is one of the largest Case equipment dealers in the world. Our dealership network spans 11 states and encompasses over 75 locations within North America. We also have several locations across Europe. In all of our dealerships, we depend on talented Diesel Technicians to keep our customers’ equipment running at peak efficiency. Titan Machinery understands the importance of training and development for a technician and provides career-long opportunities for our technicians to ensure they are the best in our industry! For individuals looking to pursue a 2-year Diesel Technology degree, Titan Machinery offers a sponsorship program where financial and professional support is provided throughout their schooling and post-graduation. Interested individuals can learn more about our program and find the application on our website: http://www.titanmachinery.com/service-tech-sponsor-program. Titan Machinery is also eager to meet individuals to discuss this opportunity further. Please contact Sarah.Kenz@titanmachinery.com with any questions.

Compeer Financial Offers Scholarships to High School Seniors

$1,500 scholarships will be awarded to 120 students

The Compeer Financial Fund for Rural America, Compeer Financial’s corporate giving program, is offering scholarships to 120 students this year. High school seniors from a rural background or pursuing post-secondary education in an agricultural field are encouraged to apply between now and March 15.

Each scholarship recipient will receive $1,500 to offset educational expenses. Qualified applicants must live in Compeer Financial’s 144-county territory and have a 3.0 GPA or higher. Recipients will be selected based on academic achievement, agricultural and community organization involvement and essays.

Students can find the scholarship application at Compeer.com. Applications can be emailed to scholarships@compeer.com or submitted in person at a local Compeer Financial office. The deadline for applications is Friday, March 15.

University of MN Twin Cities AGR is offering $6500 in scholarships to students attending the University and intending to major in one of the listed areas. Membership is not required. Applications are due March 27. Details are here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzmZnbJbs_usYmtOUTZXOVJ1MnhXR3ZOUVpWQjZ5dlMyWDA0/view?usp=sharing

Chapter Opportunities

$400 Day of Service Mini-Grant Available
Day of Service Mini-Grants are available to middle school, high school and alumni chapters to make a difference in your community in one of four focus areas: Community Safety; Hunger, Health and Nutrition; Environmental Responsibility and Community Engagement. Please note: For Day of Service Mini-Grants, when you should apply is determined by the date of your service event. Requirements for event dates have been updated. To learn more and see a full list of the Day of Service Mini-Grant dates, visit the Living to Serve Grants website at www.ffa.org/livingtoserve/grants.

Collegiate Member Opportunities

Minnesota Farmers Union Camp Counselors Needed
A Minnesota Farmers Union Camp Counselor is responsible for planning, leading, and implementing core and non-core programs and experiences for children in a small and large group settings. They will also be responsible for the general safety and development, growth, and skill achievement of the participants in his/her group. The counselor will provide high quality outdoor educational and recreational experiences for participants that focus on the MFU core values of cooperation, leadership, respect and responsibility.

For more information on the position please email Glen Schmidt at glen@mfu.org or call 651-2888-4066.

The National Teach Ag Ambassador program is accepting applicants for its 2019 cohort. Ag ed majors/pre-service teachers are being sought to represent the profession at recruitment events in their state as well as the 2019 National FFA Convention and Expo October 27-November 1. Applications are due April 12 and can be found at: https://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/4770231/2019-National-Teach-Ag-Ambassador-Application.