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Las Cruces Public Schools congratulates the Future Farmers of America (FFA) chapter at Centennial High School after they earned the distinguished title of National 1 Star Chapter for the 2019-2020 school year. The National Chapter Award Program is designed to recognize FFA chapters that actively implement the mission and strategies of the organization. These chapters improve chapter operations using the National Quality Chapter Standards (NQCS) and a Program of Activities (POA) that emphasize growing leaders, building communities and strengthening agriculture. Chapters are rewarded for providing educational experiences for the entire membership.
There are 63 students from Centennial High School involved in FFA. Despite the pandemic, Centennial added 10 new students to their roster this year. Students in the program dedicate their time after school volunteering in community service efforts and helping local farmers and ranchers, doing what they can to learn as much from the long-standing generation of farmers who paved the way of life for agriculture in the state.
Cassie Goff is the agriculture and science teacher at Centennial and has led the FFA program for six years.
“Educating this group of kids on the technology available and the partnerships we can build with some of these other industries to maintain our small farms and keep that production as local as possible for as long as we can, is really essential,” Goff said.
“Agriculture is such a big commodity for New Mexico that if we lose that, we’re going to lose a lot of different things, not just our economy but our culture and what we’re proud of and what we’re founded on,” Goff added.
Las Cruces Public Schools fosters FFA chapters at Centennial, Mayfield, and Las Cruces high schools – with a growth of chapters at a few middle schools, including Picacho, Sierra, and Zia.
In order to qualify for a state or national award, each chapter must complete at least 15 activities, one for each of the five quality standards in each of the three divisions. Additionally, the chapter must meet the minimum requirements as outlined in the National Quality Chapter Standards.
Interim Superintendent, Ralph Ramos said FFA Chapters align competitive competition for students while building leadership skills to become standout citizens that will one day, lead our community.
“I do value FFA and the FFA motto: ‘Learning to do, doing to learn, earning to live, living to serve.’ That aligns with what I believe,” said Ramos. “I was an FFA member and agriculture teacher, I understand the hard work these chapters have to do to receive chapter awards. Student activities like FFA – is what builds leaders today. I would love to see an FFA chapter at every middle school in Las Cruces. I look forward to watching our students from Centennial compete at the national level. I wish them well.”
At the beginning of every year, FFA chapters at each school must submit a program of activities detailing every activity planned for the year, a list of set goals, a systematic plan on how those goals will be achieved, and measurement/assessment on whether those goals were achieved at the end of the year. From there, the state decides whether the assessment and goals are worthy to compete at the national level.
Chapters that receive a gold rating by their state FFA associations are eligible to compete for National FFA 3-star, 2-star or 1-star ratings. Each chapter that competes for these awards will receive a multi-year plaque and a spur designating their 3-star, 2-star or 1-star rating. They will receive additional spurs for each year they compete and receive a rating from the National FFA Organization. Chapters that receive a national 3-star chapter rating will be eligible to compete for the National Premier Chapter Awards, Models of Excellence and Middle School Models of Excellence Awards.
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Centennial High School FFA Chapter Roster:
