Ridgemont Ag teachers share FFA opportunities

Ridgemont’s agricultural education teachers are spreading the message about agriculture and agricultural education nationwide. Stephanie Jolliff and Lori Romie, along with over 70 agricultural education teachers, are participating in the National Teacher Ambassadors for FFA program.

Started in 2016, the program equips teachers with the tools to share information about FFA and agricultural education within their communities. Selected teachers undergo intensive training in July, where they learn and collaborate on educational resources. This year’s training was hosted in-person in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Throughout the year, the ambassadors will conduct workshops and work with teachers from across the country to brainstorm and exchange ideas. They will also serve as representatives of the organization to teachers, providing valuable feedback from the educational field to the National FFA Organization. Additionally, eleven ambassadors have been selected to serve as mentor ambassadors, offering support to others and providing feedback to the organization throughout the year.

Sarah Dickinson, senior educational consultant for the program and events division at National FFA, stated, “Through this program, we equip teachers with the tools they need to be successful in not only developing future leaders but also in telling their stories. Our ambassadors play a key role in communications for us. They share information in the field, and they let us know what challenges they face every day.”

Jolliff and Romie have fostered a robust agricultural education program at Ridgemont. Their program has gained recognition for its excellence, winning the Strengthening Ag award both in Ohio and nationally. Their leadership has led to significant achievements, with 31 state winners at the 2023 Ohio FFA Convention and numerous state and national finalists, along with State and American FFA Degree recipients. Jolliff boasts 27 years of experience in education, while Romie has 7 years of teaching experience. Their dedication to agricultural education has earned them the opportunity to serve as National Teacher Ambassadors for FFA, where they will advocate for teachers nationwide and share instructional materials that provide students with hands-on experience in the field and practical classes that combine industry insight with classroom learning.

The National FFA Organization is a school-based national youth leadership development organization with more than 850,000 student members across 8,995 local FFA chapters in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.