FFA is a dynamic youth organization that changes lives and prepares members for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education.
FFA develops members’ potential and helps them discover their talent through hands-on experiences, which give members the tools to achieve real-world success.
One of the events offered in FFA is the Agricultural Technology & Mechanical Systems Career Development Event. The event recognizes students’ competencies in agricultural technology and mechanical systems emphasizing problem-solving, modern technology and practical hands-on skills. The event aims to prepare students for the workforce by developing effective communication, teamwork and an understanding of complex systems, making them competitive in the job market.
Durant High School competed this year in the Ag Mechanic Competition and placed highest in the state.
“We compete in the Agricultural Mechanics FFA contest, and this past year they added a surveying practicum to our contests,” said Thomas Sturgis, Durant High School agriscience teacher. “I didn’t have any experience in this field, so I got in contact with the geomatics professor at University of Florida in Plant City, Ali Gonzalez, and he came out twice to work with my team and set up simple surveying exercises for the students to complete and this helped us tremendously. At the state contest, we were the highest in the surveying category. The Ag Mechanics CDE consists of having the student do simple electrical wiring on a light switch, outlet and a light bulb. The students also have to do a ‘basic’ fillet weld as well as shop tool identification and a PVC pipe building contest.”
These are practical jobs that many mechanical professionals may be asked to do on the job, and it gives the students a wide range of experiences that they can participate in and will hopefully lead to a career path.
“As a licensed land surveyor with approximately 17 years of field experience and an instructor at our Plant City Campus, I was asked to help Mr. Sturgis prepare his students to participate in a competition that included a differential leveling exercise,” Ali Gonzalez said. “Since I knew that at that age, most students do not have any idea what land surveying is, unless a close family member is or was a land surveyor, I had to start from the very basics. Our training consisted of teaching the students about differential leveling. After a few minutes in the classroom, we took them outside and started the hands-on part. The students were given two random points and were asked to answer which point was higher than the other and by how much. Fortunately, differential leveling is a simple procedure that uses relatively easy-to-understand equipment and measuring methods.”
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