2.  Awards programs through the FFA help bring much deserved recognition, not only to your chapter but to the individual students who have outstanding SAEs

3.  The National Chapter Award is given to chapters who have implemented an outstanding POA  Every chapter that applies will receive a rating  This is a great opportunity to get your chapter recognized and give your students a chance to see their chapter’s name on the big screen!

4.  The Golden Horizon award recognizes well- rounded chapter involvement that promotes maximum participation, in order to deliver all facets of the agricultural education program.

5.  Proficiency Awards recognize students with outstanding SAEs ◦ Can either be entrepreneur or placement  Star Awards ◦ Recognize students in four areas at each degree level  Production  Placement  Agribusiness  Agriscience

6.  The scholarship opportunities for students are numerous  National FFA scholarships are due earlier than state FFA scholarships ◦ KNOW YOUR DUE DATES!!  Keep in mind that Houston has very unique scholarship requirements with regards to who they will award scholarships to ◦ Be aware of these so you don’t put a student in a bind. ◦ This includes Go Texan Scholarships

7.  Follow the rubrics! ◦ The applications and rubrics are available online either through state or national FFA  Pictures ◦ Action photos are best ◦ Make sure they are a true reflection of the student or chapter’s work ◦ Don’t wait until the last minute ◦ Staged pictures look staged

8.  There are so many award and scholarship opportunities both through the FFA and some of your community groups  Don’t overwhelm yourself trying to apply for everything  Visit with veteran teachers if you have questions about how to find or fill out applications  Always volunteer to judge to help learn what a successful application looks like!

9.  Student awards, such as Star and proficiency require the students record books to be up to date  The record books should be kept up throughout the student’s SAE  They should be a true reflection of their work

10.  Have a record book day each week for students to update their books in class so you can help them  Have a record book workshop once a month after school  If the student is keeping up with them on their own, do spot checks on your own.

11.  Don’t wait until the last minute to put record books together  Students should be maintaining their books throughout the year

12.  The Star Awards and scholarships will require interviews  They will require official dress  Practice interviewing skills with your students ◦ They will be very nervous, so being prepared can ease their nerves ◦ A good first question to always begin with is “Tell us about yourself.”  Answering this should highlight not only who they are but their FFA involvement, especially as it pertains to this award

13.  Questions from judges ◦ Scholarship questions rarely change much ◦ Star award questions are SAE specific, so make sure that your student is adequately prepared to talk about their SAEs ◦ Knowing key terms is essential  Some examples  Gestation for pregnancy  Lactation for milking

14.  Sometimes students get questions they don’t understand ◦ Train them that it’s okay to ask for clarification  Train them to deal with questions that they can’t answer ◦ When a student gets a question that baffles them, it’s okay. ◦ Never answer “I don’t know.” ◦ Teach them to use their other knowledge to help address the question to the best of their ability to show that they still understand their SAE.

15.  Jacob’s SAE is a placement SAE working for a beef cattle operation. He’s worked there for two years.  The judge asks Jacob, “What types of dewormers do you use and how often do you administer them?”  Jacob knows that they worm every six months, but is nervous and forgets the name of the dewormer.  What can he do?

16.  It’s okay to take a minute to gather your thoughts. Kids should not feel pressured to answer right away!  Jacob can explain how they gather the cattle every six months, and offer details about cattle handling and his exact job during the deworming process.  By explaining the details of what he does during the process, he shows that he has knowledge of his SAE

17.  NEVER say, “I don’t know.”  The student may not be able to give them exactly what they want, but they can give them SOMETHING!

18.  Award and scholarship opportunities are numerous  Don’t try to do it all  Take pictures throughout the year  Follow the rubrics  Have other people look over your applications for you to check for errors