President Trump and Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos were in Indianapolis this past weekend. The reason? They were in town for the National FFA Convention.
FFA, which formally stands for “Future Farmers of America”, is a student organization “for those interested in agriculture and leadership”. The organization boast over 8,568 chapters, and 600,000 members in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The organization holds their national convention in Indianapolis.
President Trump gave an address to the FFA at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. In the beginning, he condemned the synagogue attack which had happened earlier that morning. Then, he turned the convention into a political rally of sorts. He briefly campaigned for Indiana Republicans Trey Hollingsworth and Jim Banks, having the two join him on stage. Both are running for re-election. Trump used the rest of the time to talk about trade deals:
“We’re in a trade dispute,” Trump said. “But you know what, we’re going to win because we always win.”
Betsy DeVos was also in town. She toured the convention and mingled with students. This is the second year in a row DeVos made an appearance. DeVos praised the event for demonstrating alternative career paths:
First of all, it’s really inspiring to be here,” said DeVos. “Just Meeting these young people and seeing their enthusiasms for their futures and seeing the definition of multiple pathways and opportunities. FFA is a great organization that’s really helping prepare kids for a meaningful future.
Non-traditional avenues and schools are a central part of Betsy DeVos long-term educational plan and something she has praised Indiana for in the past.
The National FFA Convention and Expo is held once a year in the fall and is scheduled to be in Indianapolis until the year 2024.