My belief in the complete agricultural education program and interest in experiential learning led me to enhance the Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) program at Elizabethtown Area High School.  In 2007, only 5 students maintained effective SAE programs.  I began by requiring students in all of my classes to complete Practicum Skills SAE projects based upon the course in which they were enrolled.  Half of the students at Elizabethtown then maintained at least one SAE project as a graded assignment for class.

FFA members were then required to develop another SAE project to maintain outside of class-time, including before and after school.  This, along with the use of the district's Bear Creek Farm Outdoor Laboratory, Aquatics Laboratory, Greenhouse and Animal Science Laboratory allowed non-traditional agriculture students to maintain projects in school, even though they did not live on farms.

FFA members developed the SAE programs by either specializing within their area of interest or diversifying into other project areas.  In 2010, Elizabethtown boasted 205 separate SAE projects maintained by about 100 students.  Students began to see success at the state-level for their outstanding SAE programs, including the following recognitions:

• Corin Fuhrman and Allison Diamond, Gold Medals at 2010 State Record Book Contest
• Jessica Durante, 2010 Pennsylvania Eastern Region and Lancaster County Star in Agriscience
• Allison Diamond, 2010 State Proficiency Award in Equine Science Placement
• Austin Albright and Deidra Bollinger, 2010 National SAE Grant Winners ($1000 and $500, respectively)