By Emmy Powell
Communications Specialist

Over 580 eighth and ninth grade students grew in leadership and became more familiar with Texas Farm Bureau (TFB) through the Jumpstart and Activate programs.

Jumpstart and Activate are a part of TFB’s Student Success Series.

“Through the programs, eighth- and ninth-grade students are given the opportunity to learn more about their community, agriculture and to develop critical professional skills,” McKenna Bush, TFB Youth Outreach coordinator, said. “Jumpstart and Activate plant the seed of Texas Farm Bureau for these students and leads them into the second half of the Student Success Series.”

Students completed the online learning modules for each program during October.

Jumpstart
This year, 414 eighth-grade students learned more about Texas agriculture, grew leadership skills and became more familiar with TFB through Jumpstart.

“Students gain an understanding of the importance leadership has in our everyday lives,” Bush said. “They are given knowledge on business etiquette and developed critical professional skills. They also explored career opportunities within the Agricultural, Food and Natural Resources career cluster, and participated in guided self-reflection activities.”

Activate
Over 168 ninth-grade students learned more about TFB, created a legacy and personal brand, and explored career opportunities.

“During Activate, the freshmen dove into how to build a legacy to leave their mark on the world,” Bush said. “They developed an understanding of the agricultural supply chain and explored methods to develop a positive and impactful personal brand. The freshmen were encouraged to continue their understanding of Texas Farm Bureau, too.”

Student Success Series
As a part of TFB’s Student Success Series, Jumpstart and Activate lead into Engage and Thrive.

“Students are encouraged to grow professionally and personally through each Student Success Series program,” Bush said. “The series takes concepts such as leadership, personal branding and careers and looks at them through the lens of agriculture. It’s an opportunity to gain new perspectives and develop a greater understanding of agriculture and the role it plays in our lives.”

Engage is an in-person event hosted in each of the 13 TFB districts for high school sophomores and juniors. The events were hosted in the summer.

Thrive is a three-day conference designed to equip high school seniors with leadership and public speaking skills. The conference was held in early August.

Program details
For more information on the individual programs, visit texasfarmbureau.org/student-success-series.

Contact Bush at mbush@txfb.org or call 254-399-5037 with questions.