Willow Springs FFA member Katy Spence has been awarded a Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) Grant from the Missouri FFA Foundation, recognizing her commitment to agricultural research and student innovation.
All FFA members are required to complete an SAE project, which may involve launching an agriculture-related business, working in the agricultural industry, or conducting research. These projects provide students with hands-on learning opportunities while developing real-world skills in leadership, entrepreneurship, and problem-solving.
In 2025, Missouri FFA members generated more than $76 million in income through their SAEs, highlighting the statewide impact of these student-led initiatives.
Katy’s SAE focuses on an Agriculture Social Science research project examining whether the presence of ornamental plants in classrooms has a measurable effect on student test scores. Grant funding will be used to purchase research equipment and software needed to analyze the data collected during the experiment.
Agriculture education teacher Grant Talburt expressed appreciation for the support behind the project.
“We are thankful for the Missouri FFA Foundation and MFA Foundation support on Katy’s research project,” Talburt said. “We are excited to see if a presence of ornamental plants in a classroom has a direct effect upon student test scores. If the results show plants improve scores, this could have a beneficial impact on both the agriculture and education industries.”
Willow Springs Schools is proud of Katy’s achievement and the opportunity this grant provides to further agricultural education and student research within the district.