In Agriculture Education a pathway of Career and Technical Education (CTE), we teach based on a three-part model. The parts are classroom/lab, FFA which is student leadership, and supervised agriculture experience (SAE). Each year I tell students that in order to make the most of their time in the agricultural education program, they need to be involved in each of the three parts. I will focus the discussion on the last piece known as SAE. This component of the overall program focus’ on work-based learning. An SAE gives students the opportunity to experience real-world situations in a work environment, whether that be raising market cattle or working in the local greenhouse. It gives students a chance to get out into the community and interact with others, while also learning the valuable hard and soft skills about having a real job.
For people who are unfamiliar with agriculture education programs, I would compare an SAE to an internship. When I originally taught the lesson, I introduced the concept of SAEs like birthdays. I have students make themselves a birthday card because, just like SAEs, everyone has one in the program and each one is unique to the student themselves. After they make birthday cards, we talk about the types of SAEs: entrepreneurship, placement, school-based enterprise, service-learning, and research. Entrepreneurship is when students run their own business, this is typically the students who raise and sell market or breeding animals at the local fair. Some students breed dogs or other companion animals. Students have a budget, inventory, business plan, and are responsible for getting their animals to the show. Placement would be like a typical job or internship. Some placements are paid, others are unpaid. School-based enterprise gives students an opportunity to ‘work for the school’ by managing the school greenhouse or farm operation. Students are in charge of taking inventory during their time as managers, some schools even pay other students to work under the student manager. Service-learning allows students to take on a service project, usually something with community service, and manage the project themselves. Lastly, research allows students who may be interested in the medical or research field to conduct an experiment as their ‘job’. Usually, research is unpaid. Once we cover the types, students get to pick their very own SAE, remember this is exciting because SAEs are like birthdays.
This part of the three-part model is known as ‘work-based learning.’ Work-based learning has been a part of agricultural education programs since they were first established by the Smith-Hughes Act in 1917. It is now a part of each Career and Technical Education program, but agriculture brought the idea of work-based learning into the classroom (Steffes, 2020). Work-based learning has several advantages including, increased student enrollment and engagement, opportunities for differentiated instruction, and community involvement in education. It also contributes to networking and developing soft skills, connects students to the outside world, and gives them experience working with coworkers in a workplace environment (Stauffer, 2019). Students really customize their specific SAE to tailor fit possible careers after school. They must select proficiencies, skills, and targets which are standards in CTE programs across the country. By setting up their experience with the help of myself, parents, and community business owners students get to apply knowledge learned within the classroom by gaining real-life experiences within academic standards.
References:
Stauffer, B. (2019, May 28). 13 Benefits of work-based learning for students, CTE programs, & employers. Retrieved September 24, 2020, from https://www.aeseducation.com/blog/benefits-work-based-learning-wbl
Steffes, T. L. (2020, July 24). Smith-hughes act. Retrieved September 24, 2020, from https://www.britannica.com/topic/Smith-Hughes-Act
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