The Mattoon, Illinois, FFA program complements a full agriculture course offering at Mattoon High School, producing highly involved and engaged future ag leaders.
From fundraisers to competitions, FFA advisors there say the chapter is student-led.
Hannah Madlem, one of three FFA advisors for the school, said the chapter participates in multiple Career Development Events and hosts several fundraisers including selling concessions, strawberries and barn quilts. Alumni help with fundraising efforts and provide scholarships.
Madlem said that within the agriculture program at Mattoon High School they run many of their classes like a business, giving students hands-on experience in managing money and producing goods. These are all student led.
These operations include a freeze-dried candy shop, snack shop, coffee shop, metal sign production, cutting board production, floral arrangements, a monthly floral design subscription program, greenhouse sales and more.
There are a wide variety of courses at the school including plant science, greenhouse management, floral design, food science, animal science, veterinary science, basic construction, SAE and a four-year welding program. There are four teachers in the school’s agriculture department — Madlem, Karl Rabe, Rachel Volk and Tonya Eich. Madlem, Volk and Eich are Mattoon High School FFA advisors.
The Mattoon FFA Chapter was originally founded in 1945 then reestablished in 2007 and has continued to grow steadily since then. They have around 30 active FFA members, Madlem said.
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