Not every student who joins FFA wants to be front and center in the spotlight, some just want to roll up their sleeves and get the job done behind the scenes. That’s why a Missouri FFA chapter last year decided to focus their attention on careers in welding.
“These kids aren’t usually your creed speakers, or your officers. Yet, they are the students who usually get up early or stay late to do the heavy lifting at many FFA activities,” said Tyler Burgin, Agricultural Education Instructor and FFA Advisor for Marshall FFA. “These students ‘buy in’ just as hard as any FFA members, and when given the chance to excel in what they love they surprise everyone.”
And surprise everyone they did when the 164-member chapter received the highest honor awarded to a high school FFA chapter by the National FFA Organization for their welding project. During the 90th National FFA Convention & Expo in Indianapolis, Marshall FFA was named the 2017 National FFA Model of Excellence Winner for their program, “Welding Our Future Together.”
Marshall FFA, which is composed of members ranging from absolutely no ag background to farming being a family tradition, prides itself on its diversity.
“Some students join just to learn to weld or be part of the trap shooting team; once within the chapter students tend to find other things that spark their interest, get them involved, and have them trying new things,” Burgin said.
Within Marshall FFA’s program is a two-year, two-hour block welding course. The course serves as part of the career center and agriculture department alike and houses up to 20 students each year. It was a program the Marshall FFA chapter decided they needed to put more emphasis on.
“As many within the program are headed to technical training schools or apprenticeship programs after high school, they felt this had not been a focus of the chapter prior, and took the opportunity to better prepare the students on that path,” Burgin said.
Eighteen junior and senior FFA members participated in the “Welding Our Future Together” project. A welding instructor from the Missouri Welding Institute in Nevada, Missouri joined the chapter in their welding shop for a two hour time period to not only discuss the school as an option for the students, but also explain a little about life on the road as a working welder.
“Each instructor at MWI is not only a graduate of the school, but also has experience in welding as a career,” Burgin said. “The students were more interested and asked more questions about what would be expected of them in the working world over what the school was like.”
While the instructor spoke with the students he also taught industry TIG welds (tungsten inert gas) that would be part of the training program in any welding school. Burgin said this sparked additional student interest as they began practicing these welds more in class and preparing for the scholarship welding program. Other technical welding programs such as Tulsa Welding School, Rankin, and Linn State Technical College, were then invited to the classroom to expose students to other opportunities and to weigh their options as they moved from high school.
“All FFA members within the welding program were able to weld with the instructor and attend tours at welding schools, while other classes, especially freshman and sophomore introductory courses, were able to speak with the instructors and recruiters,” Burgin said.
Each year MWI also offers seniors a chance to attend their annual welding contest on their site. The first year five seniors took the opportunity to show off their skills against over 200 other seniors. All five welded well enough to earn $1,000 scholarship each. Last year six seniors participated with, one placing 4th and another 8th. All six earned $1,000 scholarships as well as some welding materials and tools. Two students in 2017 also took the opportunity to compete at the Tulsa Welding School and earned $1000 scholarships.
“Fom this activity the Marshall FFA Alumni and Friends took notice of the students interested in pursuing technical schools within our program and the quality of work they are putting out,” Burgin said. “This inspired the Learning to Do Scholarship which could only be awarded to students pursuing a technical school after high school.”
The past two years four students received $500 each from the Marshall FFA Alumni Learning to Do Scholarship for their hard work in the classroom and FFA Chapter.
An added bonus the Marshall FFA chapter was able to tie the “Welding Our Future Together” project with an ongoing kindness campaign called “I Believe.” An initiative by students to spread positive messages and provide lessons on self image within the school district, the kindness campaign is an opportunity for students to express thanks to those who often go “unthanked.”
This year the ag construction students wanted to thank teachers in their lives that believed in them.
“Whether it be that they were not on the path for college, yet still were shown they had value, or just someone who gave the extra effort in their education,” Burgin said.
The students showed thanks by crafting solid steel metal roses for those teachers within their life and gave the gifts just prior to Christmas as the showcase of their learned torch and MIG welding skills.
“Years before they would have taken the roses home as gifts for family members, but this year the first student asked if he could give it to a middle school teacher, and the idea was sparked,” Burgin said.
The feedback from the FFA members that participated in the “Welding Our Future Together” has been nothing but positive.
“Many of these students knew they wanted to do something with their hands but are finding more direction from our career success tours,” Burgin said. “In the past two years, we have had 14 students pursue technical schools. We have now expanded this activity to include other technical school tours as well as some universities and community colleges.”
Burgin highly recommends other FFA chapters consider focusing on a welding project.
“Many non-traditional FFA students call the shop classes home, and many of them will return to the communities they came from as hard working members of the workforce,” Burgin said.
