There were 7,746 FFA members wearing their familiar blue and gold jackets who flooded Lincoln, Neb., in early April.

With the population of Lincoln at 292,627, during the Nebraska State FFA Convention, FFA members in attendance increase the city’s population by 2.6%. If you take a trip downtown in Lincoln or are a college student on the University of Nebraska’s East Campus, you are guaranteed to see blue and gold jackets scattered all around.

Stop and talk to an FFA member about the state convention, and they will tell you that it is three days that they get to skip school. Even though these students are not at school, hands-on learning happens at the convention.

At Pinnacle Bank Arena, there is a career fair where agricultural businesses and commodity groups come to share more about their sector of agriculture. Students complete a scavenger hunt to encourage them to learn more about the ag industry in Nebraska.

During the convention, FFA members also take part in community service through the Living to Serve meal packaging event.

But when the contests that the students come to the convention for are on, students showcase their knowledge from the classroom through career and leadership development events.

Education goes beyond the classroom in FFA, and the state convention is just one testament of this hands-on leadership organization. Check out our slideshow from the 2024 convention in Lincoln.