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Michigan FFA state advisor briefs committee on program growth and CTE alignment
Summary
Mark Forbush, Michigan FFA state advisor, told the House education committee that FFA and agricultural CTE programs have expanded across the state, outlined how supervised agricultural experiences and leadership components connect to workforce needs, and described recent capital improvements and student participation growth.
Mark Forbush, Michigan FFA state advisor, briefed the House Education and Workforce Committee on the growth and priorities of FFA and agricultural career and technical education in Michigan.
Forbush told the committee FFA-related programs and participation have expanded over recent years: nine years ago the state had about 117 programs and 7,500 students; next fall he said the state will have more than 140 programs and more than 10,000 students. He highlighted the three-circle model (classroom instruction, FFA leadership and supervised agricultural experiences) and said supervised agricultural experiences produced an economic impact of about $5,400,000 in the most recent year.
Forbush told lawmakers that ag education provides hands-on STEM and career pathways and that CTE funding and recent grants helped districts add greenhouses, livestock facilities and other capital improvements. During follow-up questions, Forbush confirmed FFA class time counts toward Michigan Merit Curriculum requirements in many cases and described efforts to expand programs into middle schools to broaden student exposure to career pathways.
No committee action followed the briefing; the hearing concluded after a motion to excuse absent members and adjournment.
