The South Dakota FFA Foundation is proud to establish the Chilson Agriscience Sweepstakes Endowment, with a legacy gift from Jim Chilson. The endowment will fund a South Dakota FFA Agriscience Sweepstakes award, presented annually to an 11th or 12th grade FFA member who demonstrates exceptional achievement in agriscience, and may recognize multiple recipients when funds allow. Selection is based on innovative thinking, sustained involvement in agriscience over multiple years, extensive research into agriscience-related challenges, a strong agriscience application, and an interview highlighting the student’s understanding of his/her project and key takeaways.
Jim established the endowment because he values the growth FFA provides youth, developing leadership and agricultural skills. Jim had an Animal Science degree and Plant Science minor himself, and was alternatively certified to teach agriculture education, because of the shortage of ag teachers. He served as an agriculture education instructor from 1975-1990 in Roslyn, 1990-2018 in Florence, and came out of retirement to teach again in Florence in 2022-23. He was instrumental in launching the SD FFA Agriscience Student Competition in 1988, which evolved into the Agriscience Fair. All three of his children, Annie, Megan and Josh conducted Agriscience projects as FFA members, and took them to the state and National levels. Jim was recognized as a National FFA Agriscience Teacher of the Year Finalist in 1990 and 1996. He continues to advise and encourage members to explore problems in agriculture through science. Jim enjoys judging agriscience projects each year, meeting students and hearing about their projects, and encouraging them to think big. After funding agriscience award annually for many years, Jim made a planned gift to create the Agriscience Sweepstakes Award and endow support for it in perpetuity.
Jim Chilson shares, “Science is the basic foundation of agriculture and I had great experiences in high school with the regional science fair, which spilled over into my teaching. When FFA created the Agriscience competition, that got me fired up! It easily became part of my curriculum, and was a great way to help students find success. This endowment means I will continue to support agriscience in FFA indefinitely.”
“This gift creates a legacy for Jim, becoming the first endowed Agriscience Award with the SD FFA Foundation,” said Gerri Ann Eide, Executive Director of the South Dakota FFA Foundation. “We greatly appreciate his dedication to supporting youth interested in agriscience. We are honored by his example of providing a donation that will impact South Dakota youth far beyond any of us now involved.”
Anyone wishing to establish an endowment of their own or donate to support SD FFA members may contact the South Dakota FFA Foundation at 605-765-4865 or gerri@sdffafoundation.org.
The SD FFA Foundation builds leaders, grows communities and strengthens agriculture. For more information, visit www.sdffafoundation.org
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