Illinois Association FFA

To:District Award Winners and their Advisors

Re:Illinois FFA State Proficiency Awards Day 

Congratulations!

The State Awards Day for District Winners and  District Stars will be held on Saturday, March 25, 2023, at Eisenhower High School 1200 S. 16th Street, Decatur, IL 62521.  

Do this BEFORE you arrive that day: 

• ALL District winners need to submit their applications to the State Submission list by Monday, March 13, 2023, at 5:00 pm.  All winners must resubmit even if the application hasn't been revised.    

  • If you have a District Star Discovery winner submit to the IL 2023 Discovery Star - State under the AET  Star Application heading.

  • If you have a District State FFA Degree Star winner submit to the IL 2023 State Star - State – State under the AET Star application heading.

  • If you have a District Proficiency Award Winner submit to the IL 2023 Proficiency – State under the Illinois State Proficiency heading.

• NOTICE:  It will be the responsibility of all teachers of District Winners and District Stars to have their candidates at State Awards Day.  It is required that an advisor accompanies the student to the State Awards.  If for any reason the advisor cannot be present, they must identify a suitable replacement and must notify the Illinois FFA Center for approval of their replacement.  

• SUBMIT Judges: Click here to complete the judges' form. MUST have that form completed by NO LATER than Monday, March 13, 2023, by 5:00 p.m.  NOTICE:  One judge must be provided for each student competing in State Awards Day judging. NOTICE for: Stars = 1 judge per Star Candidate and Proficiency area = 1 judge per student entered.  For example, if you have a Star Farmer Candidate who is also a Beef District winner you need 2 judges.

  • Current FFA members are not eligible to serve as judges unless they have graduated high school.

• REVIEW and SCORE Applications: Once judges are assigned by the Illinois FFA Center, scoring invitation codes and directions on how to evaluate the applications via AET will be emailed to every judge on March 18, 2023.  This allows a full week for the judges to review and score the applications prior to the interviews on Saturday, March 25, 2023.  It is expected that all scoring of the applications is completed prior to the beginning of the interviews.  

• COMPLETE Data Forms:  All District Winners should fill out a data form electronically prior to State Awards Day on March 25, 2023.  The data form will be read by the WINNER on State Proficiency Awards day for the video of state winners for the State Convention winners presentation.  

• Press Releases: Click here for the District Proficiency Winner Press release and Click Here for District Star Winner Press release.   We will have a similar State press release and take photos of all of the district winners as a group and then the State winners with their teacher/s.  All State winning photos will be in a folder to be shared with you that day. 

• District Star Winners: Click here for the letter to District Star Winners about photos. 

• Click here for the Food Allergies/Vegetarian Meal Request Form.

Site Information and Details for Saturday, March 25, 2023:   

• LOCATION: Eisenhower High School 1200 S. 16th Street, Decatur, IL 62521

• How do I know I am in the right location?  What does the high school look like?  Click here to see the main entrance of the high school.  

• What does it look like when I walk in the main entrance?  Click here

• PARKING: It is BEST to park in the NORTH parking lot, North on the High School.  You can park in any lot surrounding the high school, but please use the main entrance.   There are NO fees or meters for parking.  

• Click here to view an ariel view of the high school to see where the parking lot is.  

• AGENDA: 

  • 8:00 a.m. - Registration and check-in for both students and judges begin at 8:00 a.m. at the main entrance of Eisenhower High School.

    • No printed copies of applications or record books are required.  

  • 10:00 a.m. - All directions and announcements for judges and students will take place in the Auditorium of Eisenhower High School.

• ATTIRE:  All District and State winners should be in Official Dress for photos, interviews and video recordings.  Attire for judges is Business Professional.  

• PHOTOS:  Group pictures will be taken of the District Winners in each award area.  Pictures and videos will be taken of State Winners and their Advisor(s) after results are posted and the advisor has completed judging obligations.

• FOOD: Lunch will be provided to all judges and participants.  The Dwayne Andreas Ag Academy FFA members will also be selling snacks and drinks throughout the day.  

• RESULTS:  All results, except Stars Over Illinois, of the contest, will be posted and announced in the auditorium at Eisenhower High School.  Discovery Stars will be announced on-site as well.   Once results are announced, teachers have completed their judging, and their students have been interviewed, you are free to go.  Only those who have to be videoed are required to stay after the results are announced.  

• VIDEOS:  All State Winners will be recorded on state awards day, our video coordinator will record each winner.  Each State Winner MUST be prepared to briefly describe their SAE to have it recorded for the State Proficiency Awards session during State FFA Convention.   The Data form MUST be completed to be prepared for this process.  Winners will use the completed Data Form for this video.  

• DATA Forms:  All District Winners should fill out a data form electronically prior to State Awards Day on March 25, 2023.  The data form will be read by the WINNER on State Proficiency Awards day for the video of state winners for the State Convention winners presentation.  

• Section Chairs will receive all of the Section Plaques at State Awards Day.  

• District winners will receive their District Winner bar at the Awards meeting to place on the section plaques. 

To know AFTER State Awards Day

• WINNERS:  Click here to view the letter to State Proficiency Award Winners. 

QUESTIONS: Contact Mindy Bunselmeyer mbunselmeyer@illinoisffa.org 217-753-3328 ext. 101 OR Cell phone - 217-412-5646

What questions can I answer?

Have a GRAND day!