In the fall of 2020, Yukon High School launched its first FFA special education class. Thanks to the Oklahoma FFA Foundation and the Give the Gift of Blue program, class members didn’t have to wait long to receive their own FFA jackets — all 15 members were gifted official blue corduroy jackets in April.
“Our special education teachers took it upon themselves to help the students apply to receive their blue jackets, and we were hoping at least three or four of them would get one,” says Dustin Beams, co-advisor of Yukon FFA, which has about 140 members. “We were really excited to learn that all 15 of the kids who applied were going to receive their jackets.”
Yukon FFA special education members spend a lot of class time in the school’s greenhouse, where they learn about seed growth and germination, and they create custom potting orders for people in the community.
“FFA and agricultural education programs really benefit these kids because they need hands-on education,” Beams says. “Some of our students may go on to work for local florists or nurseries, and our program gives them work and horticulture experience.”
Yukon FFA co-advisor Jarrod Halphen says the class provides special education students a sense of accomplishment.
“We use the FFA special education class to include students who wouldn’t normally be conventionally involved in agriculture,” Halphen says. “These students learn when you plant a seed and follow directions, you can create something meaningful. Some may not be able to express the way they feel about it verbally, but you can tell how they feel by the look on their face and the happiness they show.”
Both Beams and Halphen agree the FFA jacket ceremony for the special education students was a memorable experience for the entire FFA chapter.
“Our chapter officers presented them with their blue jackets during a ceremony, and when we put the jackets on them and zipped them up, a sense of pride came over the kids,” Halphen says. “They experienced a feeling of belonging, and that’s something a lot of them seek. They were proud to belong.”
Beams says during the 2021-22 school year, advisors plan to get special education students involved in FFA contests by partnering them with other FFA members who’ve been involved in FFA for a while.
“We will partner them to do an agriscience fair project with a traditional FFA member, so they won’t have the stress of competing alone,” Beams says. “Sometimes we teachers and students get into the mode of going to class and going through the motions. But these experiences with our special education students help us all remember the opportunities we have to make an impact.”
