Items in this listserv:
ALWAYS HERE: includes information that remains relevant from week to week. New updates are added as needed.
Illinois FFA Board Reports
Illinois FFA 100th Anniversary Memorabilia - 📋 Click here to complete the form
HOT TOPICS = MUST KNOW
SCORCHIN’ HOT, HOT, HOT - March 16, 2026 - FFA Center CLOSED due to Red Cross Training for Staff and Officers.
SCORCHIN’ HOT, HOT, HOT - Ag Legislative Day - To guarantee delivery of baskets and lunches for Ag Legislative Day, please register by Monday, March 16, 2026. Both registrations are on JudgingCard.
SPICY - GREAT FLAVOR - GOOD TO BE REMINDED: REMINDER - Harvest for All Program for the 2025–2026 - 8/26/2025 Listserv
HOT, HOT, HOT - Complete FFA Membership
Here is a link to roster instructions that were shared at the beginning of the year when we started completing the rosters in AET, if you need it to refer to. Memberships must be submitted by May 1. If you need assistance or have any questions, please feel free to contact Tammy Yard, tyard@illinoisffa.org.
HOT, HOT, HOT - JudgingCard will show a zero balance on the Teacher’s Dashboard in AET for conference registrations because you must pay IL FFA for these events. Please download the invoice; it’ll show where to mail the payment. If you register for a CDE, the balance will be calculated, and you’ll pay Ewell Educational Services, Inc. Instructions for finding your invoice.
HOT, HOT, HOT - Again this year, Illinois FFA will be hosting a Section President Candidate Orientation Meeting for FFA members interested in running for Section President, their parents and advisors. Section President Candidate Orientation Webinar is on Thursday, March 19, 2026, at 5:30 p.m. The webinar will be recorded and can be watched at your convenience. Following the webinar, we will release a mandatory survey that all potential candidates running for Section president must take to run for Section President. The survey covers all of the information provided to the candidates in the webinar, as well as information about the Section Presidency on the www.ilaged.org website. The survey is not scored nor are results shared, but all candidates running for Section President must complete the survey and have an understanding of the responsibilities, expectations and time commitments of being on the Illinois FFA State Officer Team.
Topic: 2026 Section President Candidate Orientation
Time: Mar 19, 2026 05:30 PM Central Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82228690561?pwd=VKj3QESy6qjWGtqLWwtyPFERR8Fzal.1
Meeting ID: 822 2869 0561
Passcode: 008363
One tap mobile +13126266799,,82228690561#,,,,*008363# US (Chicago)
LUKE WARM - National Chapter Award - DUE April 1, 2026, and MUST be SUBMITTED via AET
LUKE WARM - 2026 State FFA Convention Room Blocks - Room Blocks start closing April 30th.
****NEW Information****
2026 - 2027 Illinois FFA Center Student Worker Position
Jenner Ag to Award $1,000 Scholarships
National Chapter Award Application Judges NEEDED
Dave Cain Photo Contest
Ed Curry Illinois FFA Leadership Camp Memorial Scholarship
2026 GROWMARK Foundation Scholarship
Illinois Farm Bureau Top Chapter President Award Application
PAS Elects New Officers
National FFA Update
Illinois FFA Agriscience Fair - Registration is Now Open
2026 - 2027 Illinois FFA Center Student Worker Position
Click here to view the Illinois FFA Student Worker position posting.
Jenner Ag to Award $1,000 Scholarships
Applications for the Jenner Ag Furthering Ag Education Scholarship are due July 31, 2026.
National Chapter Award Application Judges NEEDED
Did we mention the National Chapter Award application is DUE Monday, April 1, 2026?
No fooling, this is the 5th YEAR for this deadline, so don’t forget the National Chapter Award Application is DUE Tuesday, April 1, 2026.
Speaking of the National Chapter Award, we NEED judges:
Click here if you are willing or interested in judging the National Chapter Award Applications.
Round 1 judging will take place online, it will begin on Wednesday, April 8, 2026, and is to be completed by Wednesday, April 15, 2026, that’s 1 week to judge applications for Round 1 - plenty of time to judge applications for Round 1. Round 1 Judges will score all three activities in an area. In both rounds of judging, judges will give scores to the area they are assigned to judge; for example, Growing Leaders are expected to score all three activities in that area for a set number of applications. The number of applications each judge will be asked to score will depend on both the number of judges we have and the applications submitted.
Round 2 judging will also take place online and begins on Monday, April 20, 2026, and is to be completed by April 29, 2026; that’s 10 days to judge Round 2 applications.
**** We will have a Zoom meeting on Tuesday, April 7, 2026, to provide training for judging the National Chapter Award application.
After Round 1 judging is concluded, applications will be sorted again and then placed into the appropriate list in AET to then be shared and scored with those who judge Round 2.
Both Round 1 and Round 2 scoring will be conducted via AET and the electronic scoring system.
We are encouraging every FFA Chapter that submits an application for a National Chapter Award ranking to supply at least one judge, that does NOT have to be the teacher, it can be an Alumni or friend of the FFA Chapter who has a real skill for reviewing and scoring applications. Please share the Judges needed form with those friends who would serve as great judges of the National Chapter Award.
Dave Cain Photo Contest
Click here to submit your photos by Thursday, May 1, 2026.
Here are some good example photos. Click here for the rubric.
Rules and Guidelines
Contestants must be members of the Illinois Association FFA.
All work must be that of the entrant.
There are six categories:
Blue Jacket Best
Scenes of the Agriculture Industry
Animal Agriculture
FFA Magical Moments
Ag Teachers in Action
Ag Education at It’s Finest
Each contestant may submit a total of six photos; one photo per category.
Judges reserve the right to move a photo into a more suitable category.
All photos must be in horizontal or landscape format.
Photos must be submitted by or on Thursday, May 1, 2026.
Photos must be taken by the contestant during the time frame of June 1, 2025, to May 1, 2026.
Photos may be digitally enhanced.
Photos are to be submitted through the Photography Contest Google Form.
Photos may not have been entered in a previous Illinois FFA Photography Contest.
Photos become the property of the Illinois Association FFA for use in publications and promotion.
5. Ed Curry Illinois FFA Leadership Camp Memorial Scholarship
Ed Curry was a long-time ag teacher and FFA advisor from Section 1 whose passion was to find the best in everyone. He lived to make every moment count and to instill in his students that they were valued and that they could make a difference. His passion for camp was infectious.
HE LOVED CAMP! Every part of it. He always loved a good challenge, trying to get someone who was unsure about stepping outside their comfort zone to attend. Mr. Curry was an FFA advisor who taught with kindness, compassion, and inclusion. He volunteered his time as a staff member of the Illinois FFA Leadership Camp every year, beginning in 2006. Camp was a place where Mr. Curry could become a trusted mentor, advisor, and friend to many more students than he had in his chapter or section. He was always willing to lend an ear and offer advice and direction to anyone who sought him out. He was a great friend to not only the FFA members attending camp but also to the other camp staff and the FFA Center staff, as well. Mr. Curry used his time at camp to impact as many members as he could.
To honor his work and life, camp scholarship(s) in the amount of $225.00 will be awarded to attend the Illinois FFA State Leadership Camp in Monticello.
Please click here to complete the Ed Curry Memorial Camp Scholarship. Applications are due by April 15, 2026. Once a student completes the application, the FFA Advisor must complete and submit a letter of recommendation stating why they think the student should be a recipient of the Ed Curry Memorial Camp Scholarship via email to intern@illinoisffa.org by April 15, 2026, for their FFA member who submits an application for the Ed Curry Memorial Camp Scholarship. ***This scholarship is intended for first time Camp attendees.***
Applicants and teachers will be notified in May.
6. 2026 GROWMARK Foundation Scholarship
The 2026 GROWMARK Foundation Scholarship application is now OPEN! Applications must be submitted by March 31, 2026, @ 11:59 PM CT. To access the application, click HERE.
7. Illinois Farm Bureau Top Chapter President Award Applications
Applications are now open for the Top 10 FFA Chapter President awards. This is a great opportunity for these Presidents to showcase their hard work and accomplishments from the 2025 - 2026 school year. Please encourage your Presidents to apply for these awards! For more information on each award, please view the attachments.
FFA Chapter President Application
Chapter President Award
Deadline: April 10, 2026
Please contact youth@ilfb.org with any questions.
8. PAS Elects New Officers
2026-2027 PAS State Officer Team
President - Ben Wamsly, Western Illinois University
1st Vice President - Brianna Cullers, Southern Illinois University Carbondale
2nd Vice President - Hunter Rich, Kaskaskia College
3rd Vice President - Maggie Bland, Southern Illinois University Carbondale
9. National FFA Updates
Nominate a Senior for the DEKALB® Agricultural Accomplishment Award
Bayer Crop Science is proudly sponsoring the 79th annual DEKALB® Agricultural Accomplishment Award. This is awarded to one FFA member per chapter who exemplifies scholarship, commitment, work ethic and passion for pursuing a career in agriculture. Students must be high school seniors and be nominated by their FFA advisors. Submit nominations by Friday, March 13, 2026.
10. Illinois FFA Agriscience Fair - Registration is Now Open
We invite members to register for the Illinois FFA Agriscience Fair now through April 15, 2026. Full details regarding how to register and the event can be found on the Illinois FFA Agriscience webpage.
-- Mindy Bunselmeyer
Illinois FFA Center
Phone: 217-753-3328
Cell: 217-412-5646
Email: mbunselmeyer@illinoisffa.org
Address: 3221 Northfield, Springfield, IL 62702