Top U.S. school-based youth leadership development organization spikes in membership ahead of 97th National FFA Convention & Expo
INDIANAPOLIS (Monday, August 5, 2024/National FFA Organization) – National FFA Organization, a nationally-recognized school-based student leadership development organization, announced today that it reached a record-breaking milestone of having more than one million FFA members: 1,027,273. States that have shown the largest membership percentage growth this past year are Utah, Florida and Alaska.
“It’s exciting to watch this generation continue to find their place in agricultural education and FFA,” said National FFA CEO Scott Stump. “We know there are many opportunities in the field of agriculture – from being a leader in your community to filling the need in the talent pipeline in one of the more than 350 careers in agriculture. We believe our members are also seeing these opportunities and welcome all to the table.”
FFA Membership Stats, 2023-2024:
- Student Membership: 1,027,273 (+8.6% from last year)
- Student Chapters: 9,235
- Alumni Membership: 760,152
- Alumni Chapters: 2,033
Top states with highest membership numbers:
- Texas (177,401)
- California (104,450)
- Georgia (81,963)
- Florida (60,817)
- North Carolina (48,241)
Top states for % membership increase compared to last year:
- Utah (+172.7% from last year)
- Florida (+116.9 % from last year)
- Alaska (+74.9% from last year)
FFA, formerly known as “Future Farmers of America,” was founded in 1928 and has since evolved into a youth organization that extends past the traditional farmer. Today, FFA reaches middle and high school students in both rural and urban communities and encourages diversity in membership. For example, as of 2023, 42.4% of FFA members were female and FFA chapters are currently in 23 of the 25 largest cities in the U.S., reaching more students in suburban areas. The wider range of student participation sheds light on the value of both traditional and urban farming.
“Alaska’s rich natural resources are a cornerstone of our new FFA chapter,” said Maureen Cronin, Bettye Davis East High FFA co-advisor based in Anchorage. “In just one year, we are proud to have become the third largest chapter in the state and already have plans to expand for year two. We provide our students with unique hands-on experiences – from our environmental, natural sciences and marine science programs to emerging environmental public health pathway and more. Our school is on the traditional lands of the Dena’ina people, so through interagency cooperation our FFA members are gaining skills in sustainable indigenous agriculture practices, and traditional ecological knowledge. Our members can gain invaluable insights into sustainable practices and resource management with what we have in our backyard.”
The importance of agricultural education continues to become more apparent, with companies in the agriculture industry seeking employees with skills such as problem-solving and decision-making, teamwork, verbal communication, technical knowledge, and more. To meet this need, FFA actively works to maintain successful chapters in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and regularly provides educational opportunities outside the school setting for students to connect and learn from students across the country. The success of a chapter largely depends on the support from a local community, including teachers, school administrators and parents/guardians.
“I couldn’t be prouder of the remarkable growth we’ve seen in our chapter and across the state,” said Austin Courson, JM Tate High School FFA Advisor and Assistant Principal based in Florida. “Watching our students embrace leadership roles, develop practical and technical skills, and work together has been incredibly rewarding. Their dedication to agriculture and the community is inspiring and we look forward to another great year of learning and growing together. As an advisor, it’s truly an honor to support each FFA member on this journey.”
The announcement of the milestone of reaching more than one million FFA members comes ahead of the 97th National FFA Convention & Expo, which is set to take place October 23-26 in Indianapolis. In 2023, the Convention had a record-breaking attendance of nearly 72,954, comprised of members, advisors, and guests, and the organization anticipates to see that number grow this year.
To learn more about the National FFA Organization, visit www.ffa.org, and to learn how to become a member of FFA, visit ffa.org/how-to-join.
***Courtesy of the National FFA Organization***
