Postponed, not canceled. The difference in those words brought temporary relief to FFA members across Minnesota as they hoped for a reason to gather and honor accomplishments for the year.
The Minnesota FFA State Convention was originally scheduled for April 19-21, but considering widespread concerns for the Coronavirus, the association started looking for a later alternative in June.
“Our top priority is always the health of safety of our students and of the communities that they return to,” State Executive Director Juleah Tolosky said. “I think most of America right now is looking forward to a return to normalcy and an ability to be in community. We want to provide that opportunity, but only once we realize what we are doing is in the best interest of those students and their communities.”
Minnesota FFA has about 10,800 student members, and nearly 3,900 attended the conference in 2019.
Just like in agriculture, FFA members and advisors had to adapt to the evolving situation.
“Our advisors were vastly affected by the school shut down,” Tolosky said. “They are not complaining about it, but they have to really rethink how to engage with students and how to bring value to them.”
She noted the association is working on virtual platforms for students to participate across the board, and while there are obvious challenges, Tolosky saw learning opportunities in the obstacles.
“Now, we’re asking these students to be really self-motivated, self-driven and to give their teachers a little bit of grace as we figure out how to navigate this,” Tolosky said.
Schools with greenhouses have had to gradually close their operations, and those that ran summer CSAs will likely not have the chance to do so in 2020.
“With the uncertainty as to when things will go back to normal, it is hard to plan for summer programs,” Tolosky said. “Thankfully, we are in an era that is not impeded by our inability to be physically together all of the time.”
Another silver lining in the situation is students can continue to work on Supervised Agricultural Experiences (SAEs) because they are personal projects that do not have to be completed in the classroom. While some may be caring for their own animals, others can take care of the livestock that belong to schools.
If all goes as planned for June, most award recognitions will proceed as normal. Nearly all of the SAE winners are been selected. While the association still needs to complete tours for their Region Stars, technology could allow virtual presentations.
As for the state officer team, Tolosky said the officers were more than happy to go down in history as the team with the longest year in service.
“When the notice came out to them that we were going to be working to postpone the convention instead of canceling it they were almost overjoyed,” Tolosky said. “It was so encouraging to see their optimism and their willingness to work hard.”
Now with at least six more weeks to plan for the convention, the team is investing in a new project to connect with members at home. It started with a new video series called Minnesota FFA Weekly.
“They wanted to remind members that we may not be seeing each other, and our schedule might look different, but we are still connected and you still matter,” Tolosky said.
As tentative planning continues, the Minnesota FFA Association will continue to follow recommendations from the CDC, Minnesota Department of Health and Minnesota Department of Education. Those interested can stay up to date by following Minnesota FFA on Facebook, and Instagram.
-Kaitlyn Riley
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