FFA teacher plans event to teach students professionalism, dinner etiquette

CHILLICOTHE ― Locals joined forces this month to teach relationship-building and professional skills to high schoolers.

Chillicothe Rotary's Jan Nusbaum said she pitched the idea after it was clear that Future Farmers of America (FFA) students could benefit from lessons in professionalism after a national agricultural event.

"I need to teach these kids how to communicate. We're having problems with these high school kids because of COVID," Nusbaum said. She said the main goal of the event is to teach skills that would help the students get jobs after graduation.

The all-day event taught students about professional networking, effective communication and dinner etiquette.

Zane Trace FFA Advisor Jennifer Johnston said students from Zane Trace, Adena and Southeastern attended the event on Oct. 2. She said FFA students often have to attend conventions with hundreds of other students, so teaching effective communication was a top priority, especially for students who would be going to college or joining the workforce soon.

"We wanted to focus on the soft skills, the human relationship skills, that they need to succeed in those areas," Johnston said. "This gave them a chance to be in a smaller group setting with adults and professionals from the community, and gave them, also, the opportunity to have a nice sit-down luncheon."

Johnston said the luncheon filled a gap in the FFA program.

Several community members visited the students during the event, including Ohio FFA President and OSU Student Luke Jennings who worked with students on time management and prioritization skills.

"I think as students get older and kind of transition to their adult lives, [prioritization] is a skill that becomes really useful when balancing lots of activities," Jennings said.

Despite the event aiming at professionalism, all hosts ensured the students were having fun while they were learning. Jennings assembled teamwork challenges to represent ideas to the students, including activities involving tracking down note cards, blowing up balloons and collecting pom-poms.

Mary Klopfenstein of the Ohio Farm Bureau worked with the students on how to ace a job interview and maintain social media professionalism. Kelley Pillow of Delta Airlines discussed dining and conversation etiquette before the students shared a homecooked meal provided by Nusbaum. Pickaway-Ross Career and Technology Superintendent Johnathan Davis and David Glass of the South Central Power Company discussed how to build a professional network.

Students ended the day by completing personal goal plans. Nusbaum hopes the luncheon can become an annual event for FFA students.

Megan Becker is a reporter for the Chillicothe Gazette. Call her at 740-349-1106, email her at mbecker@gannett.com or follow her on Twitter @BeckerReporting.

This article originally appeared on Chillicothe Gazette: Adena, Southeastern, Zane Trace FFA students taught dinner etiquette