How Indiana FFA Leadership Development Events Work
Leadership development events, or LDEs, are FFA contests in speaking, meetings, interviews and presentations. Indiana members compete at the district level in late winter and spring, then at the state convention each June. One chapter's FFA opportunities page says LDEs build college and career readiness skills for members in grades 6 to 12, with a Discovery Division for grades 6 to 8 and a Senior Division for grades 9 to 12. It sends families to the Indiana FFA website, inffa.org, for event lists, eligibility, objectives and scoring. Rules change each year, so check with your advisor.
Events You Will See in Indiana
Results from district and state events show the range. At a District 2 LDE held on a Friday in March at Whitko Career Academy in Larwill, with over 400 members, the Warsaw FFA results named events such as:
- Employability Skills and Premier Leadership Interview
- Star Greenhand Interview
- Extemporaneous Speech and Prepared Public Speaking
- Creed Speaking, with Freshman and Discovery levels
- Quiz Bowl, at high school and Discovery levels
- Agricultural Sales, with a Novice level
- Demonstrations in animal science, food science, horticulture and landscape, plant and soil science, and agricultural mechanics
- The district chapter meeting contest
The 2026 state convention placements reported in the Tipton FFA story and the WRBI report add Discovery Prepared Public Speaking, Freshman Prepared Public Speaking, Employment Skills, Ag Mechanics and Technology Demonstration, Discovery Ag Issues Team and Ag Sales Presentation. The names and levels can change from year to year.
The Chapter Meeting Contest
The State Chapter Meeting LDE tests how well a team runs a meeting, including opening ceremonies, order of business and closing ceremonies. The 2024 state contest was held February 10 at Lebanon High School. Teams had to place in the top two at both their district and section events to advance. The state contest had a Novice team division and a Chapter team division, with Indian Creek FFA winning Novice and Caston FFA winning Chapter. State winners advance to the national competition in October.
The State Convention
The Indiana FFA State Convention holds state LDEs and recognizes winners from the stage. At the 2025 convention at Purdue, state LDE judges met at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, June 17 and the state LDEs started at 9 a.m. at Southmont High School, with award recognition at the Fifth General Session on Thursday, June 19, per the convention preview.
The 97th convention in 2026 was based at The Arena at Innovation Mile, 14157 CJ Way, Noblesville, with events at Hamilton Southeastern High School in Fishers, per Hoosier Ag Today. Sessions ran June 16 to 18 after a June 15 day of CDE competition and service. The Indiana Farm Bureau reported more than 14,400 members attending, per its convention recap.
Reading the Results
District and state results show how deep the field is. At the District 2 event, a single chapter placed entries in dozens of categories, from a first place in Multimedia Scrapbook to third place in the Discovery Quiz Bowl. At the 2026 state convention, Switzerland County FFA took third in the Agriculture, Farm and Business Management Demonstration, and East Central FFA placed fourth in Employment Skills and second in Freshman Prepared Public Speaking, per the Eagle Country report.
Unified Leadership Contest
Indiana FFA is adding a Unified LDE. A Hoosier Ag Today report says a Leadership Development Event contest for members of all abilities is planned for the 2026-2027 school year. During Unified contests, a fellow member can help by reading questions aloud. Members who want to take part should contact their local FFA advisor.
Reaching Nationals
At the 97th National FFA Convention in October 2024, Indiana members competed in Extemporaneous Public Speaking, Agricultural Issues Forum and Creed Speaking, among other events, per GIANT FM. Over 100 Indiana members competed in total. The 98th convention in 2025 was held in downtown Indianapolis, per AgriNews. For most events the sources reviewed do not spell out the path to nationals, so ask your advisor.
Preparing
- Pick events by division and grade, such as Discovery for grades 6 to 8.
- Start early. Batesville FFA, for example, began practicing for its Unified contests in October.
- Practice in front of someone who will time you and give honest feedback.
- Confirm the district date and location with your advisor, since each district sets its own.
- Know how advancement works. The chapter meeting contest, for example, requires a top-two finish at district and section.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which grades can compete?
The Discovery Division is for grades 6 to 8 and the Senior Division is for grades 9 to 12.
How does a chapter meeting team reach state?
It must place in the top two at its district and section events.
Where is the state convention?
In 2026 it was at The Arena at Innovation Mile in Noblesville. In 2025 it was at Purdue.
Where do I find this year's rules?
Ask your FFA advisor and check the Indiana FFA website.
Guide checked Nov. 11, 2026. Rules and dates change; confirm with the organizer.