Southwest District FFA welcomes new chapters 

Three new FFA chapters are on the books in southwest Kansas.  

Spearville, Kinsley-Offerle and Pawnee Heights are three of eight new FFA chapters in Kansas for the 2025-26 school year. 

Spearville

A full house at the charter signing of Spearville FFA was something agricultural instructor Caity Thompson was not expecting. 

“The charter ceremony was easily one of the highlights of my career—the kind of moment that still gives me goosebumps every time I look back at the pictures,” she said. “The week leading up to the event was a whirlwind. Between coming back from Christmas break, an early dismissal because of snow, and a hundred tiny details that suddenly felt very important, stress levels were definitely high.” 

Her officer team and a couple other students jumped in and “absolutely saved the day,” for Thompson. They organized, decorated, and supported their teacher—reminding her why the program is special. With the snow, she mentally prepared for no one to be there. 

“I kept telling myself, ‘No matter what, this night is for the kids.’ So, you can imagine my smile when I walked in and saw every chair filled and people standing in the back,” she said. “The support from the community and administration was incredible. The officers did an amazing job running the ceremony and the district officers were fantastic as well.” 

Humble beginnings

How did the ball get rolling to start an ag education program in Spearville? Thompson initially found out about an opening at Spearville while recovering from knee surgery. Once she accepted the position in April 2025, she began focusing on how the new chapter should look and what they could do to build a strong foundation. 

Planning began right away, and she reached out to the Kansas State FFA executive secretary to learn her next steps and what was needed to charter a chapter before the school year started.  

“A few weeks into the school year, I held our first FFA meeting to introduce students to what FFA is and what it could look like at Spearville,” Thompson said. “Much of my recruiting took place in my classes, and as students got to know me and became excited about the opportunities FFA offered, interest quickly grew.” 

Her ag leadership and communications class worked together to develop the chapter constitution and bylaws—giving them ownership of helping to build the organization. 

“I encouraged students to run for officer positions by completing applications and participating in interviews,” she said. “A selection committee then chose our chapter officers and their roles.” 

Paperwork was submitted to get the charter finalized, and Thompson worked closely with the state office to meet appropriate deadlines, organize requirements, and support students as the process was finalized. 

“The day we received our official chapter number was incredibly exciting. I was able to order FFA jackets that same week, and when they arrived, students rushed to help carry the box into the classroom and eagerly opened it together,” she said. “Seeing their smiles as they tried on their jackets for the first time was a special moment and a reminder of how meaningful it is to build something new that students can truly call their own.” 

Thompson said there are many details to manage and requires organizational skills along with a proactive approach for the process to run smoothly and the chapter to get started on the right foot. 

“Moments like that make all the hard work completely worth it,” she said. “Moving to Spearville to start this program was truly one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Taking that leap of faith paid off in ways I never expected.” 

Having 23 of the 32 students in attendance at the charter signing spoke volumes to her about how much the chapter means to her students.  

“I’m beyond proud to be part of this journey and so grateful for the support along the way,” she said. “I hope my students and community know how much this program means to me and how committed I am to helping these kids succeed both inside and outside of FFA.” 

Her goals go beyond teaching agriculture and FFA, she wants her students to gain confidence, leadership skills and life lessons that will carry them beyond the program and lay a foundation for future generations. 

In the future, Thompson wants her chapter to become competitive at both state and national levels through proficiency awards, state degrees, and eventually earning American degrees through the National FFA Organization. 

“I would love to see students step into leadership roles by running for district offices and, in time, state officer positions,” she said. “Another major goal is to consistently place in the top five at state-level contests.” 

Her biggest dream for the program is to someday have a facility where students can house and care for livestock show projects. She also would like to start a feeder steer project and hopes to eventually donate processed meat back to the school to help support school lunches. 

“Above all, my mission is to ensure students, both now and in the future, get the very most out of agricultural education and FFA,” she said. “While awards and scholarships are important, there is so much more to a strong ag program. The real value comes from the skills students develop through speech contests, judging events, and hands-on experiences, as well as the connections and confidence they build along the way.” 

Kinsley-Offerle

Jennifer Wyatt, the agriculture instructor and FFA advisor at the Kinsley-Offerle school district in Edwards County, has been waiting nearly a decade for a position like what she has now to open up.  

“I taught special education for six years prior to coming back to Kinsley,” she said. “When I saw that they were starting an ag program, I knew I could do it.” 

Wyatt grew up in the 4-H program since her school did not have FFA. She leans heavily on her personal experiences in agriculture and education. She holds a bachelor’s degree in animal science from Kansas State University and a master’s degree in farm animal anatomy and physiology from Angelo State University. 

Animal systems and management are not new for Wyatt. Before she started teaching, she was a U.S. Department of Agriculture meat inspector at Cargill in Dodge City. 

The Kinsley-Offerle chapter received their official re-charter on Feb. 2. The chapter was chartered from 1941 to 1967. Like Spearville, organizers had to elect officers, develop a program of proposed activities for the year, register members with the National FFA, vote on a constitution and bylaws specifically for their chapter, along with requesting a new charter from FFA. 

“Because it was our first year, I wrote the documents and had the officers go through them and decide what to keep and what to change,” Wyatt said. “The biggest hurdle was living up to expectations some students had from their previous programs at different schools.” 

After the officer team and Wyatt were happy with the plan of action and constitution, it was presented it to the members for a vote. 

Wyatt and the chapter are working to re-establish a program that will help both the students and school, as well as the community.  

“We’re restoring something that once mattered to the community and giving it new life,” she said. “FFA in Kinsley helps create a shared language between grandparents and great-grandparents who are still farming for a living on the same ground their grandparents and great-grandparents came to Kansas for, parents who may farm on the side but still work another job, and students trying to navigate where agriculture will take them.” 

It also opens doors for students who have no current ties to agriculture, she said. 

For Wyatt being in the first year of an ag program is something she doesn’t take lightly.  

“It’s an honor to guide these students toward success in FFA,” she said. “It means building a foundation that can stand for the next 20, 30, 50 years. The students I have now will likely send their own children to this program someday.” 

Region

Regionally, having the new chapters grows the regional district. Southwest District FFA Adviser and Bucklin FFA Advisor and instructor Eric Martin believes it’s important for schools to have an FFA chapter for two reasons. 

“My hope is that kids get a foundation of agriculture and FFA and find a passion for a career,” he said. “No matter if they go to a trade school, college or specialized training, ideally they would come back and be leaders within our community.” 

It’s paid off in Bucklin, he said. 

“In a class of 13, five of the FFA officers went on to some kind of post-secondary education in agriculture and have returned to make their home in the community,” Martin said. 

Kylene Scott can be reached at 620-227-1804 or [email protected].