Coffee Middle School FFA members Ella Baker, Milee Beasley, and Lola Vincent recently attended the statewide FFA Floral Design Career Development Event training held at Camp John Hope. This training was developed specifically for FFA members and FFA Advisors to strengthen their floral design skills as well as build confidence in their own creative ability. The training was led and sponsored by FTID Florists Randy Wooten and Jackie Johns along with generous donations from FTD. FFA Advisors/Agriculture Teachers that were in attendance included Mr. Jamey Stodghill.
These specialized sessions allowed students and teachers more individual attention so that they could hone their designing skills in a particular area. Participants learned to create traditional and modern corsages, boutonnieres, bud vases, and water-based arrangements.
The Floral Design Career Development Event, which will be held in Hazlehurst, allows students to showcase their talents in a competitive environment by utilizing the principles and elements of design. Students use the principles of balance, proportion, scale, focal point, emphasis, rhythm, harmony, unity, and the technique of flower placement to create their designs.
At the senior level, each student must also identify flowers, plants and equipment as well as take a test over the floral industry, safety and the proper techniques of floral design.
The students design one arrangement during the area event in the time permitted based on the scenario given. The top two students from each of the six area events will move on to compete on the state level in December at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College.