9/27/07
Ideas in Motion helps MHS students learn tricks of the trade
By Eric Goold
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Manning High School teacher Tracy Weeks, left, points out just the right spot to prune for gardening student Brent Tomlin. The trees behind the high school are tended to as part of the Ideas in Motion program. |
On Thursday afternoon behind Manning High School, several students braved the wind and the rain in order to learn some gardening skills.
It was the second time this year that about 15 special needs students at Manning put on gardening gloves, took their pruning sheers and cutters and worked on trimming the trees behind the school.
It was all part of Ideas in Motion, a program that teaches special needs students gardening skills.
“Ideas in Motion is a program that teaches these students skills that they can use hopefully to make a little money after they leave high school,” said Manning teacher Tracy Weeks, who helped raise some money for the program by getting Wal-Mart to donate a community service grant for Ideas in Motion.
“Even if they can’t make any money with these skills, the students can help their parents by taking care of their yards,” said Weeks. “The more work that we can teach these children to do, the less work their parents have to do.”
Ideas in Motion is in its first year of implementation at Manning. The program is designed to help the children in a variety of ways.
“Hopefully it can provide a way for them to find what their skills are, and then build upon those skills,” said Weeks. “It gives them the opportunity to do something new and maybe discover that they like doing something that maybe they’ve never had the chance to do otherwise.”
Hopefully as the children improve their pruning and gardening skills, they’ll be able to pick up new tricks of the trade and will be able to extend beyond the high school grounds.
“Right now we’re sticking to Manning High,” said Weeks. “If they make a mistake, we don’t want them to mess up somebody’s yard. But hopefully they’ll be able to venture out and work in the yards for senior citizens or for anyone who needs help with garden work.”
The trees behind the high school show the positive effects of the pruning completed by the students.
“The curriculum is based on the Junior Master Gardeners course from 4H,” said Weeks.
Other parts of the program include teaching students the importance of showing up to a job on time. As the program develops, Weeks said the students will work with math so they can learn how to develop a billing system.
The program also helps on a practical level, giving the children reason to move around and be active outside.
“It’s been a very successful program so far,” said Weeks. “I think the children really enjoy it and I know the administration likes doing it. This is the kind of thing that really lets these children feel like they’re part of the school and the community.”
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