Photo by West Virginia Department of Education .
supervised agricultural experience ( SAE ), which can range from an internship , entrepreneurship experience , research to school-based enterprise , or service-learning opportunity .
Experiential and work-based learning in agricultural education allows local programs to extend beyond the classroom and into the community and students to consider different careers and occupations , learn expected workplace behavior and develop specific skills within the industry . In addition , each student is required to complete an SAE project , many of which include coming up with an agricultural business concept . In this course , students plan , implement , operate , and assume financial risks in a product or service of agriculture . In 2018 , 6,072 West Virginia students completed SAE projects , which had a $ 5 million economic impact statewide .
All secondary CTE programming in West Virginia is overseen by Clinton Burch , senior officer in the WVDE ’ s Division of Technical and Adult Education .
“ My job is really about connecting the dots between education and industry ,” says Burch . “ One of my favorite things to do is connect people that then create new opportunities for individuals seeking career training or career placement . It is a wonderful feeling when working with people across the state who want to create these opportunities and do not expect anything in return other than a better prepared West Virginia workforce . This passion has been in me for as long as I can remember .”
Building a Collaborative Network
Burch is part of the growing network of government agencies , educational institutions and businesses working toward promoting entrepreneurship across the state . This work started for Burch when he joined the WVDE 10 years ago and consulted with Dr . Kathy D ’ Antoni , who was serving as assistant state superintendent of schools at the time , on the Simulated Workplace Initiative .
“ That initiative is now a nationwide model and is also used in Australia , so we have taken it international ,” he says .
Simulated Workplace pathways are currently used in elementary , middle and high schools in West Virginia and create high-quality business and industry learning environments inside the classroom . Since 2010 , 41,421 students have participated in more than 1,200 simulated workplace companies across the state .
Since taking on the role of senior officer , Burch has tripled the department ’ s budget in the area of entrepreneurship .
“ The WVDE Division of Technical and Adult Education has always dabbled in the world of entrepreneurship , but over the last year , our focus has been on not only expanding entrepreneurship but work-based learning opportunities for students ,” he says . “ The budget for these activities has more than tripled to ensure schools and students are supported in these ventures . We have built an entire system that will hopefully bring education , businesses and entrepreneurs together .”
Part of forming this collaborative work has been the development of a formal entrepreneurship pathway for high school students , which is currently being piloted during the 2021-2022 school year .
In order to achieve this , the WVDE partnered with West Virginia University ( WVU ); Marshall University ; The EdVenture Group , Inc .; West Virginia business teachers ; and other key stakeholders as part of an Appalachian Regional Commission ( ARC ) Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization , or POWER , grant project called Simulated Workplace Entrepreneurship Education Pathway .
According to Tara St . Clair , director of operations for the Encova Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at WVU ’ s John Chambers College of Business and Economics , the four-course pathway is designed to support students from business ideation to launch .
“ It gives West Virginia high school students access to a college-level entrepreneurship program ,” she says . “ These students will be equipped with entrepreneurial skills many college graduates do not receive . As a policy-adopted pathway , this formal program leads entrepreneurship education innovation across the nation .”
While entrepreneurship programs are typically offered as electives or standalone courses , this initiative brings entrepreneurship to the forefront of school curriculum and provides a new career pathway for students , according to St . Clair .
“ As a development partner , we facilitate a collaborative team of subject matter experts from Marshall University and West Virginia University in designing , testing and implementing a college-level entrepreneurship pathway for career and technical education students ,” says Amber Ravenscroft , manager of innovation for The EdVenture Group . “ We also
Photo by Krystian Leonard / The EdVenture Group .
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