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FFA
is the organization for students who are studying agriscience education.
There are numerous agriscience areas, and they are all part of the FFA.
In FFA, students practice what they have learned in the classroom and
laboratory as well as real-life situations. Through these experiences,
students develop leadership skills, preparation for career success and
experience personal growth.
The
SAE is a hands-on agriscience program that a student creates and carries
out. It gives the student a chance to explore the areas of agriscience
that interest them. The chosen SAE can be based on anything that relates
to agriculture, such as an agriscience research project, starting one’s
own business or working in wildlife management.
Once
a student becomes an FFA member, a decision is made about what kind of
work they like or don’t like. This decision helps them determine what
type of SAE they intend to choose. Through classroom instruction
students learn about the hundreds of careers and how to prepare for
them. FFA members will also develop skills that put them a step ahead
towards career success, whether they begin working after high school or
pursue further education.
Agriscience
teachers stress that agriculture is farming and a whole lot more. The
agricultural industry is the nation’s largest employer with jobs in
agriculture and its related fields comprising close to 21 percent of all
jobs. Production agriculture is the solid foundation for all
agriculture-related careers, but only eight percent of all agricultural
jobs are in production agriculture. The remaining 92 percent consists of
social service professionals at 10 percent; scientists, engineers and
related professionals at 29 percent; managers and financial specialists
at 12 percent; and education and communication at 10 percent. And, there
are often more job openings than there are qualified graduates to fill
them. That means agriculture offers countless opportunities for career
success.
To
an FFA member hundreds of career choices may seem overwhelming, and
rightfully so, but agricultural careers (those related to SAEs) can be
grouped into six agricultural career clusters: agricultural and forestry
production is working with land, crops, animals, plants, flowers and
trees; management and financial specialties ensures a healthy bottom
line for American agriculture; marketing, merchandising and sales is
matching customer needs to products and services; science and
engineering is addressing environmental challenges and assuring a safe,
nutritious and economical food supply; social services is
improving the lives of agriculturalists and their communities; and
education and communication is sharing information and hands-on skills.
From
the six agricultural career clusters that FFA members have to choose
from, their SAE is divided into four basic types: exploratory,
research/experimentation and analysis, ownership/entrepreneurship, and
placement.
An
exploratory SAE is where beginning FFA members learn about the "big
picture" of agriculture and its numerous related careers.
Exploration will enable students to choose to further develop their
preferred type of SAE.
For
a SAE in research/experimentation and analysis, FFA members would
conduct research or analyze information in order to discover new
knowledge. Since agriculture is a science-based industry, members
expanding their agriscience skills position themselves to enter a
variety of agricultural career areas.
Ownership/entrepreneurship
SAEs is where an FFA member becomes a business owner. There are two
related areas. The first one is owning and/or operating an
agricultural-related business where any agricultural product is
produced. The other area is providing an agricultural-related service
like machinery maintenance, lawn care or creating a cooperative with
other FFA members to grow and sell agricultural products.
Placement
SAEs is where an FFA member works for someone else, either for pay or
for the experience. The job or internship might be on a farm, an
agricultural business, and school laboratory or community facility. The
SAE work is done outside of the normal classroom hours. Students must
keep records of the number of work hours, types of responsibilities and,
if paid, how much was earned.
SAEs
are how FFA members are able to earn the four major degrees of active
FFA membership. (In addition to SAE requirements there are other
qualifications a member must meet in order to obtain the degree.) The
first degree is greenhand. A member must have satisfactory plans for a
SAE. The chapter degree is the second degree that can be earned. Through
his/her SAE a member must have earned or productively invested at least
$150 by his/her own efforts, or worked at least 45 hours in excess of
scheduled class time, or a combination thereof, and have developed plans
for continued growth and improvement in his/her SAE.
The
state degree is the highest degree a member may earn at the state level.
Through the SAE, a member must have earned or productively invested
$1,000 or worked at least 300 hours in excess of scheduled class time in
a SAE. The American degree is the only degree a member may earn on the
national level. Through his/her SAE a member must have earned or
productively invested at least $7,500 or have earned and productively
invested at least $1,500 and worked 2,250 hours in excess of scheduled
class time.
SAEs
provide FFA members an opportunity to select a career that interests
them as well as one that is unique to their given location and
personality. There are also several learning situations applied to SAEs
like record keeping, practicing skills learned in agriscience class and
making decisions either through experience or by assistance from parents
or other adults that can enable them to enter life with confidence and
proficiency in their chosen vocation.
Philip
Paramore is an Education Specialist with the Alabama Department of
Education.
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