A Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) is a student-led, hands-on agricultural project that allows students to apply the knowledge and skills learned in the classroom to real-world situations. SAE programs are a required component of agricultural education and help students develop career readiness, technical skills, leadership abilities, and a deeper understanding of the agricultural industry. Through an SAE, students gain practical experience while exploring agricultural careers and documenting their learning and growth.
At Brookwood High School, every agriculture student is required to complete an SAE project. The SAE serves as the student's Performance Final Exam, accounting for 10% of the overall course grade. Rather than demonstrating learning solely through a traditional test, students are expected to actively apply agricultural concepts through a meaningful experience outside of normal classroom instruction. This may include a Foundational, Placement, Entrepreneurship, Research, Service Learning, or School-Based Enterprise SAE, depending on the student's interests and opportunities.
Students will document their activities, hours, reflections, and evidence of learning throughout the semester. The goal is not simply to complete hours, but to demonstrate the application of agricultural knowledge, career exploration, skill development, and personal growth. Because the SAE serves as a major course assessment, completion is required for all agriculture students and is not considered optional. Students who wish to pursue activities outside of those offered through Brookwood Agriculture must obtain prior approval from the agriculture teacher before beginning the activity in order for it to qualify toward SAE requirements.
The SAE is designed to help students move beyond the classroom and experience agriculture firsthand, preparing them for future educational opportunities, careers, and lifelong success. ** It is encouraged for ALL students, regardless of gradelevel, to start with a Foundational SAE project to explore topics first.
Foundational SAE: Exploration and skill development.
Ownership/Entrepreneurship SAE: Student owns and manages the project for profit.
Research SAE: Student conducts scientific investigation.
Service Learning SAE: Student addresses a community need through agriculture.
School-Based Enterprise SAE: Student helps operate a school-run agricultural business.
A Foundational SAE is an introductory supervised agricultural experience designed to help students explore agriculture, develop career skills, and apply classroom knowledge through planned activities. These projects focus on career exploration, skill development, agricultural literacy, and workplace readiness rather than earning income or owning a business.
Examples:
Job shadowing a veterinarian or forester
Maintaining an agricultural journal in AET
Volunteering at agricultural events
Completing agricultural skill-building workshops
Conducting career interviews with industry professionals
Assisting with greenhouse, aquaponics, or animal care activities at school
A Placement SAE involves a student working for an employer, business, organization, or individual in an agricultural setting. Through the experience, students develop technical skills, workplace readiness skills, and industry knowledge while receiving supervision and training. Placement SAEs may be paid or unpaid, but students do not own the business or operation—they work within an existing agricultural enterprise.
Examples:
Working at a veterinary clinic
Assisting at a local landscaping company
Employment at a greenhouse or nursery
Working on a livestock, poultry, or crop farm
Serving as an intern with the Georgia Forestry Commission
Assisting at a feed and seed store
Working for a lawn maintenance business
Interning in an aquaculture or aquaponics facility
Helping at an agricultural equipment dealership
Working at a county extension office
An Ownership/Entrepreneurship SAE involves a student owning, operating, or managing an agricultural business or agricultural asset with the goal of generating income. The student assumes financial responsibility and makes management decisions related to the project.
Examples:
Raising and selling market chickens
Operating a lawn care or landscaping business
Producing and selling vegetables from a garden
Breeding and selling rabbits or livestock
Selling honey from managed beehives
Creating and selling agricultural products such as candles, soaps, or crafts
A Research SAE allows students to investigate an agricultural question using scientific methods. Students develop a hypothesis, collect and analyze data, and draw conclusions to better understand agricultural systems, practices, or technologies.
Examples:
Comparing growth rates of plants under different fertilizers
Investigating the effects of various soil types on seed germination
Studying water quality in a local stream
Evaluating different poultry feed formulations
Monitoring pollinator activity in different habitats
Testing methods for controlling greenhouse pests
A Service Learning SAE combines meaningful community service with agricultural learning objectives. Students identify a community need, plan and implement a service project, and reflect on the impact of their work while applying agricultural knowledge and skills.
Examples:
Organizing a community garden for a local food pantry
Leading an environmental cleanup and native planting project
Building pollinator habitats for community parks
Conducting agricultural literacy lessons for elementary students
Managing a food drive through an FFA chapter
Developing and maintaining a school food pantry
A School-Based Enterprise SAE involves students operating or managing an agricultural business located within the school. Students gain hands-on experience in production, marketing, finance, inventory management, customer service, and business operations while supporting the agricultural education program.
Examples:
Managing a greenhouse plant sale
Operating a school floral design shop
Running a school farm stand
Producing and selling eggs from the school poultry flock
Managing an aquaponics produce sales program
Producing products through a student-run business such as Brookwood Agriculture's "Canopy Collection"