FFA Builds Confidence, Communication Skills
More than 100 students from 12 FFA chapters gathered last week for the Big Muddy FFA District Leadership School, where they strengthened their confidence, communication and leadership skills.
Following opening ceremonies, four Montana FFA state officers divided the students into two age groups for workshops designed around their experience levels.
Younger students worked on developing confidence and participated in trivia activities that introduced them to the different competitive events available through FFA.
The older students focused on the four primary methods of communication — verbal, nonverbal, visual and written — as well as the importance of active listening.
“The main thing I took out of the workshop was a lot of different ways you could get your point across communicating, and that being the loudest isn’t always the best way to get your point across,” Bainville student Parker Berwick said.
Azure Mahoney of Bainville said the workshop demonstrated why communicators should use more than one approach.
“It’s important to use multiple different ways to get your point across, because one way might not be enough,” Mahoney said.
Rylan Iverson said a person’s attitude can also affect whether others listen to the message.
“If you’re negative, no one is going to want to listen to you,” Iverson said.
Each student received a digital trading card for attending the District Leadership School.
While students participated in the workshops, their teachers attended professional development sessions presented by the Montana FFA Association, Montana Office of Public Instruction and Montana FFA Foundation.
The event brought students and educators from across the district together for a day of learning, connection and preparation for future opportunities in FFA
