FFA Today: Iowa Student’s ‘Living to Serve’ Project Still Going Strong After 7 Years

Seven years after attending the Washington Leadership Conference, Blake Van Der Kamp’s FFA “Living to Serve” project has become a continual resource for his community.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (FFA Today) — Each year, the National FFA Organization hosts the Washington Leadership Conference, where thousands of members travel to the nation’s capital to develop leadership skills and learn how to make a difference in their communities.

A key part of the experience is creating a “Living to Serve” plan, which encourages members to identify a need and take action.

For Blake Van Der Kamp, a Diamond Trail FFA alumnus from Iowa, that plan turned into a long-term commitment. Seven years after attending the conference, the service project he launched is still making an impact.

Van Der Kamp said that what started as a social media post to help students quickly get school supplies grew into a larger community project.

FFA members interested in attending the Washington Leadership Conference can contact their chapter advisor for registration information.

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Knoxville native Neal Burnette-Irwin is a graduate from MTSU where he majored in Journalism and Entertainment Studies. He works as a digital content producer with RFD News and is represented by multiple talent agencies in Nashville and Chicago.


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