Brainstorm ideas for 2026 National FFA Week (guided by ChatGPT)

Here are several programming ideas for Growing Augusta to implement during National FFA Week (based on the official 2026 National FFA Week Implementation Guide ). I’ve tailored these to fit your peri-urban, community-driven, arts-agriculture ecosystem in Augusta, connecting to your roles as educator, market manager, and civic advocate.

🌿 1. “Growing Leaders, Growing Gardens” Service Week

Concept: Tie FFA’s “Living to Serve” pillar to local beautification and food access.

Activities:

  • Host a Day of Service where FFA students partner with Growing Augusta and community volunteers to install raised beds or edible landscapes at a public site (e.g., library, park, or feeder school).

  • Include a Plant a Pollinator Strip session at Belle Terrace Community Garden or another GA demonstration site.

  • Create a “Plant It Forward” seedling exchange — FFA members grow seedlings to donate to community gardens.

Alignment: Supports FFA’s National Days of Service and AFNR standards around plant systems and community engagement .

🎶 2. “AgriCulture Through the Arts” Pop-Up Showcase

Concept: Merge Garden City Jazz and FFA Week in a cultural crossover event.

Activities:

  • Stage a pop-up art and music event at the farmers market, featuring FFA student displays of ag mechanics, floral design, and urban garden models.

  • Have a “Paint Your Produce” or “Sound of Soil” mini-exhibit with students translating agriculture themes into visual and musical art.

  • Collaborate with local artists or alumni to design an FFA-themed mural or chalk art on school grounds.

Alignment: Combines “Communication” and “Creativity” skills from the FFA Precepts and AFNR Career Ready Practices .

🐝 3. “Bee the Change” Campaign

Concept: Celebrate pollinators, sustainability, and student entrepreneurship.

Activities:

  • Invite students to craft pollinator kits, honey tasting tables, or “adopt-a-hive” projects (featuring your honey and Honey Harvest Crunch products).

  • Use social media with daily “Bee Facts” posts tagged with #FFAWeek and #GrowingAugusta.

  • Engage feeder schools with ag-literacy coloring pages and short lessons on pollinators.

Alignment: Integrates Living to Serve and agricultural literacy lessons from the FFA Week guide’s classroom section .

🧑🏽‍🌾 4. “Ag Olympics: Urban Edition”

Concept: Host fun, competitive, agriculture-themed games with an urban twist.

Activities:

  • Include events like “Wheelbarrow Relay,” “Compost Toss,” or “Farm-to-Table Trivia.”

  • Partner with local businesses for small prizes (smoothie coupons, local honey, etc.).

  • Incorporate short sustainability lessons between events.

Alignment: Matches suggested “Ag Olympics” and trivia games in the Engagement Ideas section .

💼 5. “FFA Futures Career Mixer”

Concept: Bridge classroom learning with local industry and advocacy.

Activities:

  • Invite urban growers, local chefs, environmental groups, and agribusiness owners for a Career Café conversation with students.

  • Include short presentations by FFA members about their SAE projects or ag pathways.

  • Record student interviews and share highlights in Growing Augusta’s newsletter or Urban Pro Weekly.

Alignment: Directly links to FFA’s career-readiness and communication standards .

🕊 6. “Forever Blue Augusta” Community Proclamation & Alumni Spotlight

Concept: Celebrate intergenerational FFA and ag leadership.

Activities:

  • Partner with the Mayor or Land Bank Authority to issue an FFA Week Proclamation and present alumni certificates to local ag advocates.

  • Host an “FFA Alumni Meet & Greet” during Friday’s Wear Blue Day — include community leaders and past FFA members.

  • Encourage alumni to post “Then & Now” photos with #ForeverBlueAugusta.

Alignment: Uses templates for proclamations and alumni engagement provided in the guide .

💙 7. “Give FFA Day” Philanthropy Challenge

Concept: Mobilize community giving to support student projects.

Activities:

  • Create a peer-to-peer giving challenge where donors sponsor specific student initiatives (e.g., building raised beds, purchasing tools, or funding an FFA field trip).

  • Partner with Urban Pro Weekly to feature student stories during Give FFA Day.

  • Celebrate donors publicly with thank-you videos from students and Growing Augusta.

Alignment: Mirrors Give FFA Day promotional model .

🗓 Suggested Thematic Week Plan

Day Theme Example Activities

Monday Mindful Monday: Ag & Wellness School garden yoga, smoothie bar, intro to FFA & food systems

Tuesday Tech Tuesday: Future of Ag Drone demos, hydroponics tour, digital ag showcase

Wednesday Workforce Wednesday Career mixer with local growers, Green Collar panel

Thursday Thankful Thursday / Give FFA Day Alumni luncheon, donor recognition, social media blitz

Friday Forever Blue Friday Parade of FFA jackets, proclamation signing, jazz jam finale

agriculture, advocacyK Gordon