Blossoming in the Greenhouse

Thank you to Owen Lackey, Lead Instructor for Horticulture, for writing today's blog.

Blossoming… 

Blooming... 

Flashes of brilliant color, and breathtakingly beautiful things...

 Attracting the attention of all in the ecosystem surrounding... 

...Spring in a greenhouse is the season of uncovering and viewing the potential of the coming bounty. It is a season of observing the greatness of creation and the understanding of Divine planning for all this. 

But I’m not talking about flowers…

I was blessed by an opportunity this year to nurture young minds, and to tender care and experience into the lives of folks expressly interested in the world around us. I now get to see a wonderful unfolding in spring’s masterful display. 

Some of these seeds have been waiting a long time to experience the wonder and fulfillment they find in a greenhouse. They seem to suddenly notice the light, and start using the stored up juices from rooted knowledge to explore the air around them. They stretch to the sun to show the world that they have found their place.

My hope is that the feeling never wears off. I see fruit-bearing ahead…

 The greenhouse is in full bloom.  Join us in May for the Shepherds College plant sale in the greenhouse on Fridays 12p-5p, Saturdays 9a-2p, and Memorial Day 9a-2p.

 



Shepherds College - Guiding Your Transition to Appropriate Independence. Please visit us at www.shepherdscollege.edu.

Teacher Tuesday: Efficiency Comes to Shepherds College!

Thank you to Jennifer Eakley, Instructor, for writing today's blog.

Effici-what?

What started with the Gilbreth’s popularized Time-Motion Study to improve business efficiency has now evolved and made its way to Shepherds College! As our students chop and plant their way to Appropriate Independence™ (Ai), we ask ourselves, “What else can we do to help students become the best employees that they can be?”  With the help of the Specialty Major Instructors, Chef Cassandra Comerford and Mr. Owen Lackey, the students will begin to practice strategies to improve efficiency during their 1^st year Study Skills class! 

What is efficiency? According to Dictionary.com, efficiency is the ability to accomplish something with the least waste of time and effort. In short, we will learn to work smarter, not harder. The 1^st year students will be completing tasks that simulate skills that they may perform in a job. We will monitor our skills to see how we grow and improve! 

How will they do it?

To start, students will complete a task three times. We will average these into a baseline data score. Next, students will set goals to improve their speed and accuracy, thus improving efficiency. Finally, students will chart their progress each time they complete the task to see how much faster and more proficient they can become. The goal is that this process can be replicated with any task or skill to help students improve job efficiency. Tasks include bagging rice (used to practice pan-flipping skills in Culinary Arts), distributing items into plug trays (from the SC Greenhouse), disassembling Lego structures and sorting them into categories, sectioning paper into even pieces, and sorting major-specific flashcards into categories.    

As students complete tasks, they will self-assess and problem-solve ways to improve their efficiency. This is a new level of self-advocacy that will allow students to select, implement, and evaluate strategies that can be used in any job! They will be assessed on their effort, growth, and reflections as they learn this imperative new skill recently added to the Study Skills curriculum. 

What’s the point?

Horticulture students will improve the speed in which they transplant plugs into pots while minimizing air pockets that could harm the delicate roots. Culinary Arts students will more quickly chop ingredients while maintaining industry standards. These skills will help prepare students our students for jobs in their specialty majors making them more competitive with other workers. The students learn so many new skills with us at Shepherds College; now it is time to take it to the next level! 

Appropriate Independence™ (Ai) is defined as supported self-sufficiency aligned with the strengths of each individual and guided by Christian values.  The four principles of Ai are:  we are designed on and for a purpose; we are created as individuals for community; SC trains individuals for life after college; and the goal is to empower students to serve.  To fulfill the aspect of training for life, students are given the training and the opportunities to practice their skills. When students have the opportunity to practice efficiency growth in class, they are more prepared for their 3^rd year Field Experience (FE) where they are placed with local businesses. At their FE sites, they will have the opportunity to exercise the skills they have learned which will ultimately earn them a certification in either Culinary Arts or Horticulture. 

As our students grow, so do we; and it is hard to contain our excitement when the students continue to amaze us with their growth of Ai in all aspects of their lives. All of the courses offered at Shepherds College are specifically designed to support students in various areas to provide them with the skills and strategies necessary to live as individuals created on and for a purpose, empowered to serve their community, and trained for life! All of the staff at Shepherds College feel honored to be a part of such an amazing organization!


Shepherds College - Guiding Your Transition to Appropriate Independence. Please visit us at www.shepherdscollege.edu.

The Shepherds Greenhouse - Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow

Thank you to Owen Lackey, Lead Instructor, Horticulture, for writing today's blog.

Nearly four decades ago, Shepherds found itself in an era of transition as enrolled children began to become young adults. A few conversations at Shepherds Home and School were soon purposed toward discovering new and challenging educational activities. Added activities would enhance care and vocational programs for residents. During this era, queries and contacts were extended to friends and families of the ministry in order to include them in the process.  One contact in particular took root quickly, resulting in a growing, lively branch of the ministry.

Shepherds greenhouse program began in the late 1970’s with the gift of a working greenhouse from a generous family desiring to assist Shepherds in its ministry purpose. This first 2,000 sq. ft. greenhouse served its function in giving Shepherds a lively, living workplace in which to enjoy plants, get dirty and wet, and work toward productive outcomes!

A campus will often grow and prosper, and, in 1990, the greenhouse location on Shepherds campus proved to be a valuable spot for building expansion. Relocation was planned, but the original family that provided the greenhouse decided that it was time to bless Shepherds again, this time with a larger, state-of-the-art steel structure. 

This structure has served Shepherds Ministries very well over the past 25 years. It has been home base for the grounds and greenhouse crews of Shepherds clients who have worked to decorate and care for the campus. Many classes and individual clients have spent time transplanting and potting-up plants for sale or installations on campus each spring. At 3,600 sq. ft., the space provided adequate growing room for spring seasonal bedding sales, vegetable garden starts, perennial divisions, and specialty plant storage.

Seven years ago, Shepherds College opened its doors to begin ministering to the educational and vocational preparation needs of young adults with intellectual disabilities who would benefit from its help. The two primary vocational tracks for students were Culinary Arts and Horticulture. As the College has grown, it has been a great privilege to turn over more and more greenhouse lab space to meet the needs of Horticulture students for active learning space. As a result, the Horticulture students and staff now operate the greenhouse, while Shepherds campus and its grounds crew still enjoy the advantages of growing space, right on campus. 

The Horticulture students of Shepherds College enjoy a three year experience in the various aspects of a career in the Green Industry. They are involved in vegetable gardening and small-greenhouse growing of tender crops. They also participate in grounds care, teaming up with the grounds crew in campus work. The spring brings an active, aggressive push toward filling our larger greenhouse, so there is a lot of work happening there! Third year students are then given opportunity to fine tune their skills in local “green” businesses, serving as interns in their work areas for four days a week.

This year, once again, the Shepherds College Greenhouse will be opening its doors to community opportunity.

Shepherds College Greenhouse will be open to the public each Friday and Saturday for the month of May and also Memorial Day. Horticulture students will be available to sell the 30,000 plants that they have been involved in raising. As a part of their training, they will be involved as sales staff, sharing their Horticulture knowledge with the public and learning the ins and outs of customer service!

Plant materials for sale will include:

·         Bedding plants for yard and garden

·         Vegetable plants

·         Perennials

·         Hanging baskets

·         Hanging bags

·         Custom potting will be available, performed by our students

·         A rental program will continue offering large planters (24”) for June delivery to a local site.

Greenhouse hours will be restricted to five hours per day in order to match student availability. Hours will be as follows:

·         Friday, May 1, 8, 15, 22, and 29 from noon to 5pm

·         Saturday, May 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30 from 9 am to 2 pm

·         We will be open on Memorial Day from 9 am to 2 pm

 

We hope to see all of our local friends at the Plant Sale! Call 262-878-5620 ext. 6423 with any questions.

Shepherds College - Guiding Your Transition to Appropriate Independence. Please visit us at www.shepherdscollege.edu.

Teacher Tuesday: Flora and Fauna

Mrs. Leith added a new unit to her Horticulture program!

This semester, in response to student interest and the inability to be outside or in the greenhouse during December and January, Mrs. Leith introduced the students to small animal care. 

Mr. Jeff Magnus, the owner of Aquatic Specialty Group, has already visited the class to teach the students about the care of fish. He showed the students how to set up an aquarium and then added four guppies from Venezuela and four Pristella Tetras from Brazil. He’ll be back this Thursday with Corydoras Catfish, Dwarf Bristlenose Plecos and Swordtails. An interesting mix of freshwater tropical fish for the students to study!

In the second semester, a hamster and rabbit will join the students in the classroom.

In the small animal care unit, the Horticulture class will study the following:

Introduction to small animal care-

·         Domestication of animals

·         Small animal industry

·         Safety

·         Choosing a pet

·         Animal rights

·         Careers in small animal care

Fish, Hamsters, Rabbits, Dogs and Cats-

·         History

·         Groups/Breeds

·         Anatomy

·         Feeding/Exercising

·         Care/Handling

·         Housing/Equipment/Supplies

·         Diseases

How do the students feel about this new unit?

“I’m really looking forward to learning about small animals. I really like animals.” ~ Daniela

“I’m interested in pet illnesses to better help them with their health.” ~ Joe

“I think it is a good addition to learn about animals and their behaviors.” ~ Donovan

“I think it is a good subject. It gives us another option for internships – plants and animals… farms and pet stores.” ~ Sean

They give it a green thumb’s up!

 

Shepherds College - Guiding Your Transition to Appropriate Independence. Please visit us at www.shepherdscollege.edu.