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Students in Wellsboro Area High School are using their skills outside of the classroom in outstanding ways. This is through their own individual S-A-E. SAE stands for Supervised Agricultural Experience. The main purpose of an SAE is to give students hands-on experience in an area that interests them. Therefore, each SAE is unique to each student. The four most basic categories are Entrepreneurship, Placement, Exploratory, and Research. Students record their hours and log them in online, and have opportunities receive awards and grants. Plus, they have fun doing it!

Isaac works with plants using the Wellsboro Area High School’s green house facility. Before his most recent project, he undertook an Entrepreneurial SAE by growing his Easter Lilies to sell to others in the community. Buying them partially grown, he nurtured them to maturity for over two months. Isaac’s current project involved how acid mine drainage affects plant growth. He is currently testing on a variety of species, each with different concentrations of acid mine drainage. Excitingly, this project is predicted to last a hopeful two to three months.

Taylor has not one, not two, but three separate SAE projects: a greenhouse business, sheep production, and rabbit production. First, Taylor breeds New Zealand, Dutch, and Mini Rex Rabbits, all of which she has shown at the Tioga County Fair. She has even won “Best In Show,” in 2014. She also has Tunis Sheep (a heritage breed) which she has also shown in the Tioga County Fair. Her most time consuming project is her greenhouse business due to the time spent from planting to harvest. She will be expanding to sell some of her produce this year at Tractor Supply.