SAE Awards (formerly Agricultural Proficiency Awards)

Celebrating skill development.

The SAE Award Program is based entirely on an FFA member’s Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE). These awards recognize individual skills and career-based competencies developed through multiple years of participation in agriculture and/or natural resource Immersion-type SAE projects. Members are scored on growth of their SAE and the skills, competencies, and knowledge gained through it.

SAE Award Types

Entrepreneurship

Supervised Agricultural Experiences in which members own a business that provides goods and/or services to their marketplace. The operational and risk management decisions on how goods and/or services are provided are made by the member owner. The operation must enable the development of skills and abilities aligned to the AFNR Content Standards and Career Ready Practices.

Placement

Supervised Agricultural Experiences in which the member is employed, either paid or volunteer, by another individual, business, or organization. The member completes tasks assigned by the employer while gaining hands-on experience. The experience must help develop skills and abilities directly aligned to algriculture and the AFNR Content Standards and Career Ready Practices.

Agriscience Research

An experimental, analytical, or invention-based Supervised Agricultural Experience that explores materials, processes, or information to develop new knowledge, test ideas, or confirm previous research. The research must be directly related to agriculture or natural resources. Additionally, the experience must align with the AFNR Content Standards and Career Ready Practices.

School-Based Enterprise

A School-Based Enterprise SAE is a group entrepreneurship experience in which FFA members work cooperatively to operate a student-led business that provides agricultural goods or services. The enterprise is based at the school and utilizes facilities, equipment, and resources provided by the agricultural education program or school. The business may be owned by the school or FFA chapter or operated as a partnership among members, with responsibilities and profits clearly defined. The enterprise must be directly related to agriculture or natural resources, follow a valid school-based business structure, and align with the AFNR Content Standards and Career Ready Practices.

Agriscience Research

A service-learning SAE is conducted by one or more FFA members in which they plan, conduct, and evaluate a project designed to provide a service to the school, public entities, or the community. It must provide a benefit to an organization, group, or individuals other than the FFA chapter. The project must be preapproved by a review committee that includes local stakeholders in addition to the agriculture teacher. The enterprise must be directly aligned with the AFNR Content Standards and Career Ready Practices.

SAE Award Descriptions