Prairie View A&M Hosts Invitational LDE Contest
Saturday, November 15, 2014 | Author: Leighton James, Texas FFA News Staff
Texas FFA students were able to gain contest experience while exploring college degree opportunities at Prairie View A&M University’s Leadership Development Event Invitational.
Following the success of their first annual Career Development Event Invitational last spring the university embarked on hosting their first LDE invitational in October.
Leadership Development Events focus on creating situations for members to demonstrate their abilities in public speaking, decision making, communication and their knowledge of agriculture and the FFA organization. Numerous invitational competitions are held across the state throughout the year in addition to district, area and state contests.
Kaleigh Burnett, Texas FFA Student Recognition and Scholarship Coordinator, believes that engaging more contest sites, such as Prairie View A&M, will provide additional resources and opportunities for members.
“Invitational LDE contests continue to give students the opportunity to engage in hands-on experiential learning to really accentuate what they are doing in the classroom and prepare them for a bright future.”
Weimar FFA’s senior chapter conducting team placed first in their contest at the invitational. Team member, Makayla Kunz believes that these events are a great way to improve as a group; they are also a great way to explore college opportunities.
“Personally, it makes it real, because I am realizing that what I’m doing right now can help me get into one of these colleges,” said Kunz. “Prairie View showed a video right before results were announced; it showed us all of the different options that are available to us at this university.”
Wash Jones, Prairie View A&M Assistant Professor and LDE Contest Chair, said the university is interested in showing Texas FFA students the opportunities available to them at their school.
“Bringing students to Prairie View A&M University leads them to realize that we are another option for them if they want to pursue a degree in agriculture,” said Jones.
Jones recognizes the need for agricultural science teachers, and realizes future educators will come from FFA members. In the end he hopes to recruit some of the students attending the events on campus.
“FFA members are already visiting campuses for CDE and LDE contests,” said Jones. “There is a need for ag science teachers, and these are the students that could fill the positions.”
|