Warren County Middle School FFA Earns National Three-Star Gold Rating for Second Straight Year

Warren County Middle School’s FFA Chapter has earned one of the National FFA Organization’s highest chapter honors for the second year in a row, receiving a National Chapter Award gold rating with three stars.

The recognition marks the second consecutive year that a Warren County FFA chapter has achieved the distinction, according to the school.

The National Chapter Award Program recognizes FFA chapters that carry out the organization’s mission of growing leaders, building communities and strengthening agriculture. Chapters are judged on leadership development, community service, agricultural advancement, and the overall quality of their yearly activities.

To qualify, chapters must meet National Quality Chapter Standards and complete a Program of Activities, or POA, that includes at least 15 high-impact events.

At Warren County Middle School, students wrote the entire 24-page application themselves.

That process required members to set S.M.A.R.T. goals, create detailed plans for each activity, follow the official National FFA rubric, and show measurable results from their work.

After qualifying as a top chapter in Virginia, Warren County Middle School FFA advanced to national judging, where chapters are rated with one, two, or three stars.

Three stars is the highest rating a chapter can receive.

“This achievement reflects the drive the Warren County Middle School FFA officers and members have,” said FFA adviser Lynne Phillips. “I was nervous about what star rating we would earn this year. I am so very excited by the gold three-star rating that advanced through the National FFA National Chapter application award process for a second year in a row.”

The chapter’s Program of Activities serves as a yearlong roadmap for members and officers.

Each August, chapter officers map out what they hope to accomplish over the next 12 months. Those plans shape service projects, leadership opportunities, agriculture education, and activities designed to build stronger connections between students and the community.

This year’s activities included Friendsgiving, the Gobble Gobble Holiday Food Drive, a Strike Out Stress bowling outing, apple gleaning at Stribling Orchard, a staff breakfast, a BBQ tailgate for chapter recruitment and a recycling program called “Feeding Minds, Saving Earth.”

Members also took part in Junior FFA officer team development, safety basketball and an agriculture literacy reading program.

The chapter says those activities reflect the larger goals of FFA by combining service, leadership and agriculture education in ways that give students hands-on experience.

For members, the award is about more than a rating.

“Our FFA Chapter is very grateful that this is our second year in a row receiving the National Chapter Award,” said Warren County Middle School FFA President Rylee Galvin. “Last year’s officer team worked hard to get here, and I look forward to walking the stage at the 99th National FFA Convention. Now, we have to raise money to get to the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis in late October.”

The chapter received its state gold rating during the 100th Virginia State FFA Convention held in June 2026 at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg.

The location carried special meaning this year as Virginia FFA celebrated its 100th anniversary.

The organization traces its roots to agricultural educators at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, now Virginia Tech, and that early work helped lead to the formation of the National FFA Organization.

Warren County Middle School FFA members are now preparing for the next step: receiving their national three-star gold recognition at the 99th National FFA Convention in Indianapolis in late October.

That trip will require additional fundraising, and chapter members are expected to spend the coming weeks working to cover travel costs.

The recognition is another milestone for a program that continues to grow through agricultural education, leadership training and service-learning projects.

School officials say the chapter’s success reflects strong student involvement and members’ willingness to take ownership of projects from planning through completion.

The National FFA Organization now has more than 1 million members across the United States, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. According to the organization, membership has reached 1,042,245 students in 9,407 chapters, supported by about 13,000 agricultural educators and FFA advisers.

FFA programs focus on leadership, personal growth, and career success through agricultural education.

For Warren County Middle School, earning a three-star gold rating for a second straight year places the local chapter among the strongest in the country and gives students another opportunity to represent Warren County on the national stage.