Small Animal Science will provide students with comprehensive knowledge of companion animal management and care.  The course will focus on dogs, cats, rabbits, birds, rodents and fish – with hands-on-experience and problem-solving animal health and welfare.  This class is for the pet owner or an aspiring animal-related professional.  Anatomy, nutrition, genetics, grooming, reproduction, behavior, training, handling and veterinary care of small animals will be the focus of this class.  Each student will be expected to maintain a Supervised Agricultural Experience.

Effective communication, team building, citizenship and organizational skills will be learned and practiced through FFA activities.  Students will be involved in fall FFA contests that involve ag issues, ag sales, employment skills, ag broadcasting, ag communications, parliamentary procedure, extemporaneous speaking, prepared public speaking.  Students will continue to develop leadership skills through the study of and interaction with Sioux Falls leaders.  The Ag Leadership course is committed to developing the next generation of leaders equipped to address the many challenges and opportunities within the agricultural industry in our local area. Exposure to the agricultural industries and their leaders will be a critical component in developing our next generation of leaders. Each student will be expected to maintain a Supervised Agricultural Experience.

Horticulture is a multi-faceted class that will focus on the sustainable use of plants to generate healthy foods, protect the environment and create attractive landscapes.  Topics will include plant anatomy, plant identification, plant reproduction, growing operations, weed and pest management and harvesting horticultural plants, vegetable production, fruit production, floriculture, interior plantscapes, turfgrass science, tree and woody plants and landscape design.  Students will be prepared for educational fields in turf grass, floral design, greenhouse operations, urban forestry and landscape design.  Each student will be expected to maintain a Supervised Agricultural Experience.  

Large Animal Science is a class that covers farm animal production, horse/equine science, poultry production, dairy and exotic/zoo animals.  Students will receive a rich foundation and hands-on experience with feeding, breeding, health and the processing of food products derived from animals.  Hands-on-experience with an emphasis on animal physiology, nutrition, reproduction and health science will prepare students for educational fields in technical animal science such as pre-veterinary medicine, livestock management and biotechnology.  Each student will be expected to maintain a Supervised Agricultural Experience. 

Students will experience the fast-paced evolution of technology in growing food.  The processes and products of biomaterials and biofuels, technology tools for agriculture efficiency, complex agriculture issues such as pest management, controlling livestock environments, and the demand for food that is locally or organically produced will be featured in this class.  Topics such as drones, environmental sensors, GPS navigation, satellite imagery, genetically modified food, cloning and pesticides will be explored with an emphasis on college and career opportunities in this field.  Each student will be expected to maintain a Supervised Agricultural Experience and FFA Agriscience fair project.

All students enrolled in an Agricultural education program are encouraged to participate in FFA. FFA is a dynamic youth organization that changes lives and prepares members for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education. FFA develops members’ potential and helps them discover their talent through hands-on experiences, which give members the tools to achieve real-world success. Members are future chemists, veterinarians, government officials, entrepreneurs, bankers, international business leaders, teachers and premier professionals in many career fields. FFA is an intracurricular student organization for those interested in agriculture and leadership. It is one of the three components of agricultural education. The official name of the organization is the National FFA Organization. The letters “FFA” stand for Future Farmers of America. These letters are a part of our history and our heritage that will never change. Our local chapter is called: Sioux Falls CTE Academy FFA, and supports all students enrolled in the CTE Academy Agriculture classes.