What is Ag Ed?

Three Component Model of School-Based AFNR (Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resource) Education

Classroom and Laboratory Instruction—Academic Skill Development—Contextual project-, problem-, and inquiry-based instruction through classroom and laboratory settings such as a school greenhouse, farm, or natural resources lab. Advanced inquiry-based curricula known as Curriculum for Agricultural Science Education (CASE; cf. Project Lead The Way) is available through the National Council for AFNR Education (The Council).

Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE)—Technical Skill Development and Work-Based Learning—
A student-led, instructor-supervised, Work-Based Learning (WBL) experience that results in measurable outcomes within a predefined, agreed upon set of AFNR Technical Standards and Career Ready Practices aligned to a Career Plan of study. SAE teaches technical skills and knowledge within the psychomotor domain of learning. SAE includes both experiential learning (i.e., pre-WBL) and WBL (federally defined as sustained interactions with industry or community professionals in real workplace settings, to the extent practicable, or simulated environments, at an educational institution that foster in-depth, firsthand engagement with the tasks required in a given career field, that are aligned to curriculum and instruction; Sec. 3 [20 U.S.C. 2302] 55).

The National FFA Organization (FFA)—Social Emotional Skill Development and Student Leadership—

A student-led, instructor-supervised, Career and Technical Student Organization (CTSO) that results in measurable outcomes within a predefined, agreed upon set of AFNR social-emotional standards and Career Ready Practices aligned to a Career Plan of study. FFA teaches social-emotional and leadership skills and knowledge within the affective domain of learning. FFA includes programs that teach essential employability skills such as critical thinking, communication, and leadership. FFA was founded in 1928 and is federally defined as intracurricular (within the curriculum; cf. extracurricular: external, co-curricular: alongside) and an integral (necessary to form the whole) component of School-Based AFNR Education (Public Law No. 116-7).