PA R T I I - T H E P R O J E C T
GILMER FFA MEMBERS VOLUNTEER TO ASSIST ELEMENTARY TEACHERS WITH CLASSROOM SETUP
Gilmer FFA members organized a chapter service project which assisted Gilmer Elementary School teachers as they set up their classes for the 2019-2020 school year. Forty Gilmer FFA members volunteered to help assist teachers build workstations, organize paperwork, and set up for “Meet the Teacher.” “The “Helping Our Day Ones” activity allowed our members the opportunity to give back to the teachers who have shaped them into the young men and women they are today and form relationships with new teachers,” said Flory. As the chapter members helped 100% of the Gilmer Elementary teachers move into their classrooms, they were able to exhibit the importance of community involvement. “By doing this event our members were able to be visible to community members within our school district, and it allowed teachers to see that FFA members are servant leaders,” said Flory. This particular service project aided in Gilmer FFA’s recognition this past October as a finalist for one of the National FFA’s Premier
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Chapter Awards in 2020. These awards are designed to recognize FFA chapters that actively implement the mission and strategies of the organization through well-rounded top programs with innovative activities. The national-level award recognizes top chapters with innovative activities in each of the three divisions: growing leaders, building communities, and strengthening agriculture. Gilmer FFA’s “Helping Our Day Ones” project placed them as a finalist in the building communities category. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, Gilmer FFA was not able to execute this same project at the beginning of the 2020-2021 school year. However, just as the FFA motto states, the chapter is adapting and “Living to Serve” by executing other service projects.
“BY DOING THIS EVENT OUR MEMBERS WERE ABLE TO BE VISIBLE TO COMMUNITY MEMBERS WITHIN OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT.”
