The National FFA recently selected, from a pool of 660 candidates nationwide, the Manawa FFA chapter as a three-star winner in the National FFA Chapter Award program.
The National FFA Chapter Award recognizes FFA chapters for developing and conducting a detailed program of activities. Each activity provides opportunities for FFA members to excel in one of three areas - student, chapter or community development. Every year, FFA chapters are recognized as having earned a one-, two-, or three-star rating on their application. The three-star rating is the highest level of accomplishment an FFA chapter may receive.
"We placed eighth in the state at our state convention," said Sandra Cordes, FFA advisor at Little Wolf High School. "Now we submitted it on to nationals and we're in the top tier for nationals so we'll be receiving the three-star national chapter award. I'll have two representatives who'll be able to go across the national stage."
Cordes said Wisconsin had 25 applicants sent to the national level.
Two representatives from the Manawa FFA chapter will receive the award on a national stage at the National FFA Convention held Oct. 22-24 in Indianapolis, Ind.
"I'm particularly proud of my kids because they go against the largest of all the chapters and I love that our chapter has the strong community, and we are trying to come up with ways to help our community and our kids," Cordes said. "It's very student driven and I work with awesome kids.
"We don't do it to win awards but it's nice for my student to be recognized because it's a lot of hours of planning. We need to find different ways for students to feel connected to our communities so this is a good piece that helps them with that. It's not just an individual award, the whole school can take pride because they all contributed to the success of this."