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Career and Technical Education Update
April 2021
Preparing students for successful careers through aligned instruction, focusing on leadership and technical skills, in partnership with and for the benefit of our community
Career and Leadership Development Awards
Participating FFA members are challenged to develop critical thinking skills and effective decision-making skills, foster teamwork and promote communication in several CLD events.

Recently, W.F. West students competed in the virtual District 3 LDE judged events:
  • Agriculture Sales - team works collaboratively to build a sales plan and demonstrate skill in customer relations
  • Creed Speaking - reciting the National FFA Creed to develop public speaking skills and self-confidence
  • Employment Skills - developing skills needed for employment in agriculture
  • Extemporaneous Public Speaking - showcasing agricultural knowledge and ability to think on your feet in front of a panel of judges
  • Prepared Public Speaking - presenting a speech on an agriculture-related topic

Noteworthy Accomplishment
Congratulations to the following students:
  • First and Second place (gold and blue) in sales: Chehalis
  • Second place in creed speaking: Elias Morris
  • Ninth place in employment skills: Katelynn Guenther
  • Fourth place in extemp speaking: Lauryn Young
  • First place in extemp speaking: Cassy Schilter
  • Third place in prepared speaking: Elias Morris
  • First place in prepared speaking: Cassy Schilter

Elias, Cassy, and Lauryn will be moving on to compete in the virtual Washington State FFA Leadership Development Event contest.
Future Farmers of America
Supporting Agricultural Education
Future Farmers of America was founded by a group of young farmers back in 1928. Their mission was to prepare future generations for the challenges of feeding a growing population. They taught us that agriculture is more than planting and harvesting - it's a science, it's a business and it's an art.

School-based agricultural education is an essential educational program delivered through career and technical education (CTE) in every state. There are approximately one million agricultural education students in the nation. Integral core components include:

  1. Contextual, inquiry-based instruction and learning through an interactive classroom and laboratory
  2. Premier leadership, personal growth, and career success through engagement in FFA; and
  3. Experiential, service and-or work-based learning through the implementation of a supervised agricultural experience program.
Scholarship Season
John and Lois Leonard were long time Chehalis residents who believed in the value of education. They had a particular interest in providing for students interested in pursuing pathways in the Career and Technical Education program.

Beginning with the class of 2020 and thanks to the Leonard Endowment, W.F. West seniors began receiving scholarships to assist them in funding their education beyond high school. In the class of 2021, there are 14 students who will be receiving either a $1,000 or $2,000 scholarship.

Members of the Leonard Trust Committee met on April 21 to review applications and were impressed with the diverse post-secondary pathways for which W.F. West CTE students are planning and preparing. Watch for a full list in a future update.

To learn more about the Leonards and their endowment, visit the Chehalis Foundation website using the button below.