By Logan Wells
FFA State President
When traveling to the National FFA Convention in Louisville last fall, I had the opportunity to meet a young student from Stratford on the bus. As we visited on the way down, we were discussing his background and favorite part of FFA. He was a freshman and was taking a small animals class; he didn't live on a farm but wanted to be in FFA because it looked like fun and a great opportunity to travel. He was still in the process of finding a Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) or hands-on learning project, but hoped to find some ideas during national convention. I asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up and he said he wanted to be a K-9 policeman.
Once the bus rolled into Louisville, we went our separate ways and I didn't see him again until the trip home.
On the way back, we got to visiting again and I asked how his week was. He responded with great excitement and went on about some of the people he had met and tours he attended. The part that was truly mind boggling was when I asked if he had any ideas for a new SAE learning project. At convention there is a huge career expo where different businesses and organizations recruit FFA members to their companies or part of the industry.
One booth he visited was a non-profit organization recruiting FFA members to train seeing-eye dogs for an FFA project. It was a perfect fit for him and he was going to talk with his parents about getting permission when he got home.
This story demonstrates the three-circle model and agricultural education at its finest. First, the student is learning about pets and small animal care inside the classroom. The next circle, the FFA itself, is where students gain interpersonal skills and network with people. Finally, the hands-on learning project of training seeing-eye dogs is the perfect way for him to apply his in-class experiences and gain new hands-on skills. He will be well on his way to a career as a K-9 policeman.
Agricultural education works and there are thousands of students with stories just like this one.
- Logan Wells, a 2011 graduate of Monroe High School, is currently a forestry major at University of Wisconsin-Madison. He serves as the president of the Wisconsin FFA.
FFA State President
When traveling to the National FFA Convention in Louisville last fall, I had the opportunity to meet a young student from Stratford on the bus. As we visited on the way down, we were discussing his background and favorite part of FFA. He was a freshman and was taking a small animals class; he didn't live on a farm but wanted to be in FFA because it looked like fun and a great opportunity to travel. He was still in the process of finding a Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) or hands-on learning project, but hoped to find some ideas during national convention. I asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up and he said he wanted to be a K-9 policeman.
Once the bus rolled into Louisville, we went our separate ways and I didn't see him again until the trip home.
On the way back, we got to visiting again and I asked how his week was. He responded with great excitement and went on about some of the people he had met and tours he attended. The part that was truly mind boggling was when I asked if he had any ideas for a new SAE learning project. At convention there is a huge career expo where different businesses and organizations recruit FFA members to their companies or part of the industry.
One booth he visited was a non-profit organization recruiting FFA members to train seeing-eye dogs for an FFA project. It was a perfect fit for him and he was going to talk with his parents about getting permission when he got home.
This story demonstrates the three-circle model and agricultural education at its finest. First, the student is learning about pets and small animal care inside the classroom. The next circle, the FFA itself, is where students gain interpersonal skills and network with people. Finally, the hands-on learning project of training seeing-eye dogs is the perfect way for him to apply his in-class experiences and gain new hands-on skills. He will be well on his way to a career as a K-9 policeman.
Agricultural education works and there are thousands of students with stories just like this one.
- Logan Wells, a 2011 graduate of Monroe High School, is currently a forestry major at University of Wisconsin-Madison. He serves as the president of the Wisconsin FFA.