Wisconsin FFA Leadership Development Events

What Wisconsin FFA Leadership Development Events Are

Leadership development events, or LDEs, are the speaking, meeting and knowledge contests of FFA. Where career events test technical skill, LDEs test how well a member can speak, run a meeting, think on her feet and work in a team. Wisconsin chapters send members to these contests at the local, district, sectional and state levels.

The Event List

Holmen FFA's LDE page lists seven Wisconsin events:

• Creed Speaking
• Prepared Public Speaking
• Extemporaneous Public Speaking
• Parliamentary Procedure
• Discussion Meet
• Quiz Bowl
• Employment Skills

Gillett's LDE page adds two more that go straight to state: Agricultural Issues Forum and Conduct of Chapter Meetings. It also separates Middle School Quiz Bowl from High School Quiz Bowl. A central Wisconsin chapter report also describes students competing in Quiz Bowl, Creed Speaking, Prepared Speaking, Parliamentary Procedure, Discussion Meet and Employability Skills, per Central Wisconsin News.

District, Sectional, State, National

Most events follow a required order. The Gillett page says contests in the first group must go district, then sectional, then state, and then national if qualified. Its example for the 2027 season:

• District: District 23 LDEs at Pulaski Community Middle School, date to be determined.
• Sectional: Thursday, March 4, at Oconto Falls High School.
• State: the Wisconsin State FFA Convention, June 14 to 17.
• National: the National FFA LDE competitions in October 2027.

Your district and sectional location and dates will differ, so confirm them with your advisor. Gillett also notes that students who compete at the district level commit to competing at each later level they qualify for.

Two events skip the ladder. Agricultural Issues Forum and Conduct of Chapter Meetings are state-only contests with no prior qualification. High School Quiz Bowl qualification depends on a knowledge test taken at Sectionals.

Middle School Quiz Bowl

Seventh and eighth graders get their own stage. The state Middle School Quiz Bowl lets 7th and 8th grade FFA members show what they know about FFA programs, history, activities and leaders. In 2026, Viroqua won, ahead of Marshall, Fennimore and Cadott. Teams competed in district and sectional contests, then state semi-finals in Madison before the finals. The winning team had five members, and Compeer Financial sponsors the event at the state level.

The State Convention in Madison

State LDEs are part of the Wisconsin FFA Convention at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison. The 97th convention ran June 15 to 18, 2026, and the Midwest Farm Report expected more than 4,000 people from 267 chapters. It included a Day of Service, charters for six chapters, State FFA Degrees for over 400 members, State Stars announcements, workshops and the announcement of the 2026-2027 officer team.

An earlier listing on the Holmen state convention page shows how much surrounds the contests. It names High School Quiz Bowl, Conduct of Chapter Meetings and Ag Issues Forum alongside the AgriScience Fair, Scrapbook Contest, Ag Artwork Contest, Talent Competition, Tractor Restoration Contest and Website Design Contest, plus Honors Band or Chorus, Courtesy Corps and a Rally to Fight Hunger. Members earn their spot on the trip, so talk with your advisor about what to enter.

Choosing an Event

• Comfortable on a stage: Creed Speaking, Prepared Public Speaking or Extemporaneous Public Speaking.
• Enjoy teamwork and rules: Parliamentary Procedure or Discussion Meet.
• Love trivia: Quiz Bowl, with a middle school version for grades 7 and 8.
• Looking ahead to jobs: Employment Skills.
• Want a fast route to state: Agricultural Issues Forum or Conduct of Chapter Meetings.

Preparing

• Ask your advisor for the current event handbook and judging sheets.
• Practice in front of real people, such as your chapter, family or classmates, before district.
• Study the FFA basics, because Quiz Bowl draws on programs, history, activities and leaders.
• Plan for the full ladder. District and sectional dates come in winter and early spring, and state falls in June.

Questions to Ask Your Advisor

• Which LDEs does our chapter enter, and who is on each team?
• When and where are our district and sectional contests this year?
• Are we entering any state-only events such as Agricultural Issues Forum or Conduct of Chapter Meetings?
• Who handles registration, travel and the commitment to compete at each later level?
• Is there a middle school team for Quiz Bowl?

Event rules, dates and sites change every year, and the district and sectional examples above come from a single chapter's schedule, so treat your advisor and the Wisconsin FFA staff as the final word.

Frequently Asked Questions

Guide checked Nov. 11, 2026. Rules and dates change; confirm with the organizer.