Week Five: The Smith-Hughes Act

The Smith-Hughes Act played an integral role in agricultural education throughout the United States. First put into action in 1917, it has been changing students lives for generations. I myself am a product of an agricultural education program. The Smith-Hughes Act allowed for agriculture to be taught in public schools. Currently, over 800,000 students participate in ag education programs throughout the country. There are three components of an ag ed program, the classroom/lab, a Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) and FFA. As a future ag educator myself, I have spent lots of time learning about how these three things compliment one another in a successful ag program. I have loved seeing students truly grasp the importance of agriculture by participating in one of this type of program.

By allowing agriculture to be taught to middle and high school students, we give them the opportunity to see a career within the industry. I can't imagine how my life would be without having gone through an ag ed program. I certainly wouldn't have a future career right now. I am very grateful for the Smith-Hughes Act and the impact it has had on so many students within the United States.

The mission of agricultural education is this:

Agricultural education prepares students for successful careers and a lifetime of informed choices in the global agriculture, food, fiber and natural resources systems.

I love how the mission talks about setting students up for success within their careers. We already live in a hard enough world why not make it a little easier on our next generation by allowing them to find a place in this industry at a young age.

Students who participate in ag ed programs also have the chance to hone their leadership skills by being a member of the FFA. FFA is premier leadership organization that allows for students to learn vital skills as a leader while representing agriculture. FFA gave me a voice to advocate for agriculture while giving me life long friends and connections within the industry. I believe this goes to show how incredible an eg education program truly is.

As always, thank you for reading.

*tips ball cap from the tractor seat*

“Agricultural Education.” National FFA Organization, 14 Jan. 2019, www.ffa.org/agricultural-education/.