By Shelby Shank
Field Editor

Students in the graduating classes of 2025 and 2026 participated in Texas Farm Bureau’s (TFB) district Engage events.

Engage is an in-person event hosted in each of the 13 TFB districts as part of TFB’s Student Success Series.

Students learned about entrepreneurship by engaging with community leaders, gained insight about the free enterprise system, learned how to navigate and have an engaging presence on social media platforms, as well as learned more about youth opportunities provided by TFB.

“The program leaves a lasting impact on students who participated and gives them an advantage among their peers,” McKenna Bush, TFB Youth Outreach coordinator, said. “Engage builds upon skills students are establishing through 4-H, FFA and FCCLA programming and equips participants to be active members in their communities.”

Engage events helped participants develop their personal brand to become credible and knowledgeable sources of information for issues they are passionate about. The program also provided students with opportunities to connect with other youth, network with community leaders and learn about TFB on both local and state levels.

A total of 278 students across the Lone Star State participated in Engage this spring.

“Engage is a unique program where these individuals will share their Farm Bureau experiences and involvement with other students and encourage them to take advantage of opportunities available to them as high schoolers and later as young leaders,” Bush said.

Students who participate in the Engage event are eligible to compete in TFB’s Free Enterprise Speech Contest. This contest is at the district-level where students prepare and deliver their speech via video recording. Prizes for the top three competitors in each district include: first place, $250 cash prize; second place, $150 cash prize; and third place, $75 cash prize.

Additional programs will be held this summer and fall for the remaining Student Success Series programs: Jumpstart, Activate and Thrive.

For more information about youth programs and activities, visit texasfarmbureau.org/youth/youth-opportunities/.