Small Town News

New FFA scholarship program will provide business experience

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Chatfield students in FFA will soon get the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of recent National Agri-Entrepreneurship Award winners Tyler Steinbrink and Jordan Hanson due to a local grant program that's being established.

Chatfield FFA advisor and ag instructor Stacy Fritz described how Supervised Agricultural Experiences (SAEs) help students in FFA start their businesses and business educations while still in high school.

"SAEs provide invaluable work-related experience that the students can bring with them to job interviews, scholarship and award applications. It not only gives students a leg up in their future endeavors but often provides them with a source of income as well," said Fritz.

"SAE stands for 'Supervised Agricultural Experience,' which is fancy terminology for projects that students work on outside of the normal school day. There are four categories -- exploratory, in which they learn about the big picture; research, experimentation and analysis, in which they conduct research and analyze information to discover new knowledge; ownership and entrepreneur-ship, where they plan and operate an agriculture-related business; and placement, where they work for an individual, either for pay or for the experience.

"FFA requires that all of its members make satisfactory progress in their SAE projects. Having an SAE project is necessary to fill out all advanced award applications and to earn Greenhand, Chapter, State and American FFA Degrees.

"Members are required to keep appropriate records of their SAE projects, and it is supervised by the ag instructor and often another adult such as an employer or parent."

Chatfield senior Steinbrink and 2009 graduate Hanson, now a University of Wisconsin-River Falls student, both were awarded the National Agri-Entrepreneurship Award for their ventures into business selling cattle and horses, respectively. By doing so, they earned $1,000 for the local FFA chapter, a sum Fritz hopes to apply toward creating a grant program that assists other students in buying their first cattle, for example, or exploring other career opportunities.

"The local SAE grant program that we want to initiate will help fund projects that fall under the entrepreneurship category. This is because there are often substantial start-up costs associated with these types of SAE projects. The grant program will help students get an entrepreneurial SAE started and increase their chances of success through the program."

Fritz has been working to establish a grant program since this past June, and has garnered approximately $1,400 for the program through a brat feed held last month and also with the funds awarded by the national FFA organization.

"Some initial startup funds came from the national FFA organization. In Tyler's and Jordan's applications, I am required to write an advisor's statement about each student. The national FFA organization awards each chapter a $500 check for the award winners, and in the advisor's statement, I am also required to state how I will use that money."

In the applications, Fritz stated she would use the money to start up a local SAE grant program modeled after the national FFA's SAE grant program. Because grants like the Agri-Entrepreneurship Award grants don't fall from the sky or jog casually past, Fritz has plans to host "continued community type events such as the brat feed held this fall, and hopefully find some area sponsorship from community members and/or businesses."

"I would encourage area businesses and individuals to consider sponsoring area specific or general SAE grants -- the dollar amounts could vary."

In any case, public generosity is greatly appreciated. The instructor is currently drafting guidelines for distributing the funds. "Once a grant application timeline is established, applications and scoring rubrics will be drafted following the example of the national FFA organization's application. An independent and non-biased committee will be chosen to review the applications and possibly interview the applicants as time permits."

Fritz would like to see the program remain and grow in Chatfield in the coming decades.

"I believe it will remain in Chatfield for years to come, as it is vital to helping our FFA members start up new business, learn important business management skills and ultimately help these students become active, contributing members of our community.

"It would help ensure that this program stays alive by proving that this program is well worth the support and efforts through the continued success of our FFA chapter."

Fritz is a proud supporter of FFA's foundation, principles and mission.

"What I would like the public to know about FFA is that it is an outstanding student leadership organization started in 1928 that provides opportunities for its members, no matter what their background or where they want to go in life. Typically, people believe that you need to have a farming background or want to go into a career in farming to be involved in FFA, but that is simply not true. FFA provides such a wide range of leadership opportunities for students that anyone who is interested can custom tailor their FFA experience. If students are willing to put the time into the organization, they receive benefits far beyond what they expected."

To contribute to the FFA's local SAE grant program, contact Fritz at (507) 696-5853 or e-mail sfritz@chatfield.kl 2.mn.us



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© 2010 The Chatfield News Chatfield, Minnesota. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from DAS.

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