Saluting the Blue and Gold

We thought the following statistics were quite enlightening as we continue to celebrate National FFA Week.

MEMBERSHIP​
Today, there are 557,318 FFA members, aged 12‒21, in 7,498 chapters in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

• 44% of FFA members are female; women hold approximately 50% of state leadership positions.
• 73% of our membership is White; 15% is Hispanic/Latino; 7% is Black/African-American; 5% is American Indian, Asian or Pacific Islander.
• 9% of FFA members are currently enrolled in grades 6-8; 87% of FFA members are currently enrolled in grades 9-12; 4% have already graduated from high school and may be engaged in postsecondary studies.
• FFA chapters are in 18 of the 20 largest U.S. cities, including New York, Chicago and Philadelphia.
• The top five membership states are Texas, California, Georgia, Missouri and Oklahoma.
• The 2012 National FFA Convention was host to 56,167 members, FFA advisors and FFA supporters.
• 2010-11 National FFA Organization membership by states: (English) (Spanish)

EDUCATION
More than 11,000 FFA advisors and agriculture teachers deliver an integrated model of agricultural education providing students with innovative and leading-edge education, enabling them to grow into competent leaders.

•  92% offer agriscience; 71% offer advanced agriscience and biotechnology; 59% offer agricultural mechanics; 49% offer horticulture; 43% offer animal science; and 24% offer environment-related
• In 2001, 59% of qualified agricultural education graduates pursued teaching, 35 agriculture programs closed due to lack of qualified teachers and 365 agriculture teachers teach in more than one school
• 23% of teachers have five or fewer years of teaching experience
• The shortage of qualified agriculture teachers is the greatest challenge facing FFA and agricultural education

CAREER EXPLORATION
FFA classroom activities include math and science as well as hands-on work experience and the development of life skills, helping members discover their career path and realize success.

• Collectively, FFA members earn more than $4 billion annually through their hands-on work experience.
• Members participate and learn advanced career skills in 47 national proficiency areas based on their hands-on work experiences ranging from agricultural communications and food science and technology to turf grass management and wildlife production and management.
• According to the student magazine readership study, 87% of our students are interested in learning about career exploration, 81% about college preparation and 81% about technology. 
• Through 24 national career development events and one activity, FFA members are challenged to real-life, hands-on tests of skills used to prepare them for more than 300 careers in the agriculture industry.