Items in this listserv:
HOT TOPICS - MUST KNOW:
HOT, HOT, HOT - How HOT you ask??? SUNBURN HOT - So HOT you gotta get the aloe from the fridge HOT.
Illinois FFA Board Reports
National Finalists this year - 2025 National Finalist Selection Results
Illinois FFA 100th Anniversary Memorabilia - 📋 Click here to complete the form
IL FFA Alumni and Supporters Scholarship Applications and Letter of Recommendations for WLC & Ground Zero and Outstanding Alumni Chapter & Member Applications are due Monday, November 3, 2025.
****NEW Information****
Registration and Roster Reminder
Apply Now for the ASA BASF Soy Scholarship
Nutrien’s Farmers 2050 FFA Global Contest
Illinois Youth Institute
SIU Preview Day - Forestry and Horticulture
Registration and Roster Reminder
Thank you all for your outstanding work in submitting the FFA rosters by the Fall deadline!
We truly appreciate your adaptability as we transitioned to using AET for completing rosters, waivers, and C.A.R.E. forms. While any new system can come with challenges, your efforts have helped make this a smooth and successful change — thank you for embracing it with such a positive spirit!
As the school year picks up and events begin, just a quick reminder: if a parent/guardian hasn’t completed the electronic waiver/C.A.R.E. form, the member’s name won’t appear in your chapter’s dropdown list in Judging Card when registering for events.
If you’ve used the paper form and received a signed copy from the parent, you’ll simply need to enter your email as the parent's email and sign off on their behalf in AET.
If you have any questions about membership, feel free to reach out to Tammy Yard at tyard@illinoisffa.org. For any registration questions, Patti Davis is happy to help at pdavis@illinoisffa.org.
Thanks again for all that you do to support your members and make FFA such a success across Illinois!
Apply Now for the ASA BASF Soy Scholarship
Do you know an outstanding high school senior who is interested in pursuing a career in agriculture? Strong agriculture leaders are vital to the sustainability and growth of the soybean industry, and the American Soybean Association, in partnership with BASF, wants to provide a student interested in agriculture with a college scholarship to begin their degree.
The Soy Scholarship is a $7,000, one-time award presented to a high school senior who plans to pursue agriculture as an area of study at any accredited college or university in the 2026-27 academic year. The scholarship is managed by ASA and made possible through a grant by BASF Corporation. High school seniors may apply online Oct. 7 – Dec. 31, 2025. Click here to learn more information about the program.
Nutrien’s Farmers 2050 FFA Global Contest
FFA members will discover what it really takes to feed the world through Nutrien's sustainability-based farming game, Farmers 2050. The FFA contest participants must make it to level 5 in the game to create or join a team to participate in the Farmer’s 2050 National FFA Global Event Contest. FFA advisors must sign up their chapter and agree to the contest rules to participate. The top three FFA teams in the game registered by their advisor will receive a real donation for their FFA chapter donated by Nutrien Ag Solutions. This contest is open to all FFA chapters across the United States and will run from Oct. 20 to Nov. 2, 2025. The top three teams will be announced and contacted the week of November 3, 2025.
Illinois Youth Institute
NEW Opportunity for Illinois students who are interested in the future of global food security and agriculture!
Join us for the first-ever Illinois Youth Institute (Illinois Youth Institute Event Flyer.pdf) hosted in partnership with the World Food Prize Foundation, on Tuesday, May 12th at the University of Illinois Chicago.
What is a Youth Institute?
In collaboration with agricultural university partners around the world, the World Food Prize Foundation offers over 38 Youth Institutes throughout Honduras, Kenya, the Netherlands, Sweden, Sierra Leone, Uganda and the United States. Through these programs, students research a food security issue in a country of their choice, write a three-to-five-page paper and present their findings at a Youth Institute Roundtable alongside peers, educators and industry experts.
Who is Eligible?
This event is open to all Illinois students in grades 9-12 who write and submit a Global Challenge Research Paper by the February 27th deadline. While registration will open at a later date, we invite you to help your students get started now with the Global Challenge Research Paper, the core requirement for participation.
What to Expect?
The Illinois Youth Institute will allow students from across the state to share their research papers with like-minded peers and experts in a small group format. We are planning an exciting program filled with local and global leaders who are ready to inspire this generation to address the big food and agriculture issues of our day. Come ready to network, learn, and get motivated!
What will students gain?
The Illinois Youth Institute will offer students the chance to:
Strengthen critical thinking, research and presentation skills
Engage with local leaders and experts, university faculty and industry professionals
Explore college and career pathways in agriculture, STEM and global development
Earn the Borlaug Scholar recognition alongside tens of thousands of other students and become eligible for advanced opportunities, including the Global Youth Institute and Borlaug-Ruan International Internship
How to participate:
Submit this short form Illinois Youth Institute Participation Form by December 15th to let us know you are committing to writing the paper and attending the May 12th Illinois Youth Institute. Papers will be due on February 27th, 2026.
Questions can be sent to sheilafowler05@gmail.com and pegyih@gmail.com
We look forward to hearing from you!
Helpful Links:
Illinois Youth Institute Event Flyer.pdf
Global Challenge Research Paper Instructions
Global Challenge Research Paper Resources
Sample Global Challenge Research Paper
CLICK HERE for more information about The World Food Prize
SIU Preview Day - Forestry and Horticulture:
We invite high school and community college students to join SIU Forestry & Horticulture for our Program Preview Day. You will get to know our faculty, students, and program.
Take a walk through Thompson Woods and tour our campus.
Sit in on a forestry or horticulture class.
Eat lunch with current students.
Hear from organizations around campus to learn more about SIU.
This will be a day full of activities, learning, and getting outside! We know that making a college decision is stressful, that’s why we want you to experience a day in what could be your next 4 years at SIU.
*** PREVIOUS Information Shared - WORTH Sharing Again****
PREVIOUS LISTSERVS - CLICK HERE to view - 2025 - 2026 School Year
2024 - 2025 School Year - CLICK HERE
New Information for 2025-26 (Added 9/9/25):
All Conference Event Information, Flyers, Required Forms, Registration Information
2025-26 Calendar of Events: All events, including board meetings, conferences, conventions, registration deadlines, etc.
*Please NOTE that clicking on Dates & Deadlines will take you to the www.ilaged.org calendar.
October 14, 2025 - IL FFA Board Meeting, IL FFA Center, Springfield, IL
October 15, 2025 - State Land Use CDE, Black Hawk East Campus, 26230 Black Hawk Rd, Galva, IL
October 16 - 17, 2025 - IACCAI Conference, Parkland College, Champaign, IL
October 21, 2025 - 100th Committee Virtual Meeting at 3:30 p.m.
October 23, 2025 - PAS Fall Conference Registration ENDS
October 24, 2025 - State Food Science CDE Mandatory Registration ENDS
October 24, 2025 - Special Accommodation Form DUE for State Food Science CDE
October 24, 2025 - State Job Interview LDE Materials DUE
October 25, 2025 - State Ag Sales Results DUE
October 25, 2025 - State Ag Ed Lesson Plans DUE
October 27, 2025 - LLCC Fall Middle School Registration & Food Allergy Form ENDS
October 29 - November 1, 2025 - National FFA Convention, Indianapolis, IN
October 31, 2025 - IAVAT & NAAE Dues DUE
October 31, 2025 - Richland College Fall Middle School Registration & Food Allergy Form ENDS
November 1, 2025 - Administrators' Approval of FFA Rosters DUE
November 3, 2025 - Belonging & Engagement Virtual Meeting at 3:30 p.m.
November 3, 2025 - IL FFA Alumni WLC & Ground Zero Conferences Scholarship Applications & Letter of Recommendations from Teachers DUE
November 5, 2025 - 100th Committee Virtual Meeting at 3:30 p.m.
November 6, 2025 - Virtual IAVAT Board Meeting, 3:30-5:00
November 7, 2025 - State Food Science CDE, Joliet Junior College, 1215 Houbolt Rd, Joliet, IL
November 8, 2025 - IL FFA Alumni and Supporters Council Meeting, IL FFA Center, Springfield
November 8, 2025 - State Ag Education, Ag Sales, and Job Interview LDEs, Illinois State University, Normal, IL
November 11, 2025 - IL FFA Center CLOSED for Holiday
November 10, 2025 - BUILD Conference Registration & Food Allergies Form ENDS
November 10, 2025 - Fall Middle School Conference, LLCC, Trutter Center, 5250 Shepherd Rd, Springfield, IL
November 13, 2025 - Fall PAS Conference, Illinois State University, 100 N University St, Normal, IL
November 14, 2025- Fall Middle School Conference, Richland Community College, 1 College Park, Decatur, IL
November 17 - 21 , 2025 - Chapter Visits - Sections 1, 3, 7, 8, 19
November 22, 2025 - Mandatory Registration for State Dairy Foods CDE ENDS
November 22, 2025 - Early Bird Registration ENDS for State Agronomy CDE
November 22, 2025 - Special Accommodation Form for State Dairy Foods & State Agronomy CDEs DUE
November 24 - 25, 2025 - BUILD Conference, Illinois State University, Bone Student Center, 200 N University St, Normal, IL
November 26, 2025 - IL FFA Center Closes at 12:30 p.m.
November 27 - 28, 2025- IL FFA Center Closed for Thanksgiving Holiday
December 8, 2025 - Agricultural Skills Showcase Written Reports DUE
December 12, 2025 - 100th Committee Virtual Meeting at 3:30 p.m.
December 23, 2025 - Illinois FFA Center Closes at 12:30 p.m. for Christmas/New Year’s Holiday
December 24-January 1, 2026 - IL FFA Center Closed for the Holidays.
-- Mindy Bunselmeyer
Illinois FFA Center
Phone: 217-753-3328
Cell: 217-412-5646
Email: mbunselmeyer@illinoisffa.org
Address: 3221 Northfield, Springfield, IL 62702