Fourteen Tyrone Area FFA members traveled to Harrisburg on February 21st-22nd and February 28th-March 1st, to attend the 17th annual Agricultural Cooperation Establishes Success (ACES) conference.

Each year members from the chapter, along with members across the state, attend this conference.

On the first day of ACES members attend workshops put together by the State Officer team and the PA FFA Organization. The workshops this year were based on diversity, strengths, knowledge of agriculture, ag teachers, and supervised agricultural experiences.

The Tyrone Area FFA members learned many new ideas while attending the conference. These ideas can be taken back to the chapter and taught to members. They will help encourage students to take up an SAE or have an open mind when it comes to someone they don’t know. ACES is a great opportunity for learning. We would like thank everyone attending and everyone who made it possible.

The Mixed Playlist workshop taught members about stereotyping and diversity. In one activity, members were broken into groups and asked to draw a grandma, teacher, skater, surfer, farmer, and hippie.

The groups worked together and drew what they thought their person would look like.  The point of the activity was to highlight diversity and for participants to realize that not all farmers look like the farmer they drew, just as not every hippie always wears tie-dye.

“This workshop gave me an insight on why we should not stereotype people or judge them,” said first year member Daniel Peterson.

The Washington Leadership Conference (WLC) workshop was held to teach members about the upcoming conference.

Members worked together to pass a playground ball with their elbows with different challenges each round, if someone dropped the ball, they would have to write a strength on it. They also created their own superhero.  This workshop taught members that they can be the leader.

FFA members knowledge was tested it the Let’s Talk Ag workshop.  Members were shown a video on Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO’s). One out of six ordinary citizens that were asked didn’t know what a GMO was. This activity was used as way for members to understand Ag issues and why it is important to get the word out.

“I loved learning about the different Ag issues and the different ways we as FFA members can get others to know about them and help them to understand,” said FFA President Carly Crofcheck.

The Teach Ag workshop taught members about the importance of Ag teachers. The workshop leaders talked to the members on the importance of an Ag teacher and why there is a need.  Members were asked to write five characteristics of their own Ag advisors. If other groups had the same words, they were thrown out. This was done to show members that if they have these characteristics, they have the potential to become an Ag teacher.

Each year, the National FFA Organizations hands out scholarships to members with outstanding Supervised Agricultural Experiences (SAE) projects. The SAE Across America workshop taught members about the different benefits available to members.Members and advisors made up stories of real people using the SAE project: how it started, how it expanded, and how it turned out. Then to wrap up the story, the money made from the project and the benefits form the project were discussed.

“After going through this workshop, I can’t wait to put my SAE into competition,” said FFA member Baylee DelBaggio.

After the workshops, members enjoyed dinner with their advisors and the State FFA Officer team. A special competition was held for entertainment. Advisors were volunteered by the students to sing karaoke with other advisors.

A dance was also held after dinner for all attending. Members could spend time with the friends they made that day in the workshop and the State Officers.

When the dance ended, members gathered around the dance floor and listen to the officers’ reflections. Each of the reflections were about becoming a leader and starting a trend of your own.

On Sunday morning, members were gathered and worked together to complete the first community service project at ACES. Videos were played about different community service projects and the opportunities that come from them. After this, members we given an option to write to a soldier currently serving, a wounded warrior, or a veteran. The letter would be sent to the correct people when they were read through and processed.