More than 2,100 FFA members from throughout the country are gathering in Washington, D.C. this summer to hone personal skills, grow leadership abilities, and create a meaningful community-service plan designed to make a difference in their home communities.

The 2015 Washington Leadership Conference is the second-largest student experience that the National FFA Organization hosts each year.  Participants spend a week learning from educators, counselors, and FFA staff in workshops, seminars and small groups.  The students learn personal and leadership skills to help them as they return to their local FFA chapters and their communities.

“Students who attend the Washington Leadership Conference learn their purpose, how to value people, how take action and the importance of serving others,” National FFA Organization CEO Dr. Dwight Armstrong said. “They leave with the knowledge and the confidence to act in ways that help their schools, communities and their country.”

Agricultural education teachers attend the conference as well, learning how to motivate and help develop their students’ personal growth and leadership potential and how they can help maximize their local FFA chapters’ community-service initiatives throughout the year.

At the conclusion of each weekly session is a civic engagement activity where participants apply what they have learned at the conference to a real, hands-on service activity. In a partnership with Meals of Hope, students will pack approximately 60,000 highly palatable meals that will be delivered directly to the food insecure of Washington, D.C. 

Participants will also visit many of the sites of D.C., as well as visit with members of Congress.