How Ohio FFA Leadership Events Work
Leadership development events, or LDEs, are the FFA contests where members compete on speaking, meeting skills and interviewing rather than judging animals or fixing engines. Ohio chapters run them through a ladder of sub-district, district and state contests. One wrinkle: Ohio newspapers often label speaking contests as CDEs, so do not be thrown if the school paper calls Creed Speaking a "Public Speaking CDE." Your advisor has the official Ohio event list and calendar, kept by Ohio FFA according to one chapter's contest page.
Events You Will See
National FFA's CDE and LDE page for the 2026 season lists speaking, meeting and interview events including:
- Creed Speaking
- Prepared Public Speaking
- Extemporaneous Public Speaking
- Parliamentary Procedure
- Conduct of Chapter Meetings
- Employment Skills
- Agricultural Issues Forum
The page does not label which events are LDEs, so ask your advisor which ones your chapter treats as leadership events. Ohio local reports also mention Job Interview contests and a Career Conversation event for middle school members.
Public Speaking Contests
Recent Ohio results show the structure. In the March 26, 2026 Farm and Dairy roundup, West Holmes FFA members competed in sub-districts on February 4 at Firelands High School, in districts on February 11 at Shelby High School, and at the state contest on March 7 at Marysville High School. Events included Creed Speaking, Beginning Prepared Speaking, Advanced Prepared Speaking and Extemporaneous Speaking. State placings were reported by room, since many speakers compete at once. Another Ohio chapter's results show a state Extemporaneous champion who will represent Ohio at the National FFA Convention in October, and a second-place finisher who advances to the Eastern Region competition in Boston.
The April 16 roundup adds that District 10's public speaking contest, hosted by Fort Frye FFA, included Prepared, Beginning Prepared, Extemporaneous and Creed Speaking. A district Creed Speaking winner advanced to state and finished in the top 20 in Ohio.
Parliamentary Procedure and Interviews
The January 2026 roundup describes a fall schedule. A District 2 Job Interview contest on November 6 had Freshman, Sophomore and Junior divisions. A sub-district Parliamentary Procedure contest was held November 23 in Hillsdale, followed by a district contest on November 25 in Wellington. Teams that attend the early contests learn the format before the stakes rise.
Middle School Career Conversation
The same roundup reports that a Black River FFA middle school member won her heat at the Ohio FFA State Career Conversation with a perfect score, advanced to the semifinal and finished fourth overall. It is a reminder that leadership events are not only for high school members.
State Convention
The 98th Ohio FFA Convention ran April 30 to May 1, 2026, at the Ohio Expo Center in Columbus, per Farm and Dairy. It drew thousands of middle and high school students, with state officers, speakers and award recognition. The article does not describe LDE finals, and the speaking contests above were held earlier, so ask your advisor where finals take place.
Leadership Beyond Contests
Not every leadership opportunity is a scored event. The January 2026 roundup also describes Ohio FFA Leadership Night on December 4 at the Ohio State ATI campus, hosted by Smithville FFA and led by Ohio FFA state officers, with Black River FFA reporting about 350 members taking part. And an April 2026 school post explains that Ohio FFA state officer candidates complete an application, a writing exercise, a personal video and an interview, with state officers selected and announced during the state convention. If speaking contests are your first step, those are two natural next ones.
Choosing Your First Event
If you are new, pick one event and learn it well rather than entering everything. Ohio results show beginner-friendly entry points, including Beginning Prepared Speaking and a Freshman division in Job Interview, alongside Advanced Prepared Speaking and a Junior division. Ask your advisor which divisions your chapter can enter and what the district entry deadline is.
Moving On to National
National FFA lists the 99th National FFA Convention and Expo for October 21 to 24, with team certification and uploads due September 1 and Employment Skills virtual components September 29 to October 1. Qualification rules are in the national event handbooks, so ask your advisor which Ohio winners are eligible and when paperwork is due.
How to Prepare
- Start with the national handbook for your event, then ask your advisor about Ohio-specific rules.
- For Creed Speaking, memorize early and practice in front of real people, not the mirror.
- For Extemporaneous, practice with a timer and a stack of agriculture topics.
- For Parliamentary Procedure, run mock meetings until motions come automatically.
- For interviews, build a short resume and rehearse answers about your experience.
- Enter the district contest early in the season. It is the best practice for state.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where was the 2026 Ohio state public speaking contest?
March 7 at Marysville High School, per the March 26 Farm and Dairy roundup.
Can middle school members compete?
Yes. A Black River FFA middle school member competed at the Ohio FFA State Career Conversation, per a January 2026 roundup.
Does the winner of a state speaking event go to National?
The state Extemporaneous winner in one Ohio report will represent Ohio at the National FFA Convention in October.
Where do I find the Ohio event list?
Ask your advisor for the Ohio CDE rules and calendar maintained by Ohio FFA.
Guide checked Nov. 11, 2026. Rules and dates change; confirm with the organizer.