By Blake Jackson
Each summer, thousands of FFA members travel to Washington, D.C., to attend the Washington Leadership Conference (WLC), a powerful leadership experience for high school students. This year, the conference runs from June 3 to July 11 and offers five week-long sessions. Over 1,600 students and 262 chaperones are registered to attend in 2025.
The WLC, now over 50 years old, teaches FFA members how to become leaders and community changemakers. One of the conference's main goals is to help students learn how to advocate for agriculture and agricultural education. Students meet with their congressional representatives and senators and visit important national landmarks such as the U.S. Capitol, Arlington National Cemetery, the National Mall, and the Smithsonian Museums.
Each day of the conference has a different focus: exploration, encouragement, advocacy, and service. These principles are taught using the setting of Washington, D.C. At the end of the week, each attendee creates a Living to Serve plan—a project they can bring back to their home community.
Past success stories show the impact of these projects. Patrick Palmer from California used a mobile classroom called Agriculture on Wheels to teach elementary students about farming. Kaiya Grossman from Minnesota created a plan to bridge urban and rural divides and address mental health among students. Macy Bader from Missouri launched Farm Safety Day to educate students on safety in rural areas, with hopes to expand it to younger grades.
The 2025 WLC is sponsored by Corteva, Farm Credit, Growth Energy, and Syngenta, showing strong industry support. This conference continues to shape young leaders who are ready to serve their communities and advocate for agriculture nationwide.
Photo Credit: national-ffa
Categories: National