Schools
WKHS students turn their greenhouse efforts into cash
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| The efforts by Worthington Kilbourne High School students to make their greenhouse work paid off with plenty of green during their plant sale held recently on Worthington's Village Green. |
* Plant sale leads to fruitful lessons, $800 in proceeds and a national award for teacher Susan Hrenko.
By PAMELA WILLIS
Worthington Kilbourne High School intervention specialist
Susan Hrenko taught students how to grow and nurture more
than 1,000 green plants to expand a greenhouse project into
a successful student collaboration and plant sale.
The project led to Hrenko being the only high school teacher in the country to win the 2010 Making a Difference Award, given by the National Science Teacher Association and the Drug, Chemical and Associated Technologies organization.
She received $2,500 with the award to help her further expand the greenhouse program.
Hrenko's General Science students transplanted and nurtured 1,600 tomato and herb plants. They then collaborated with International Business Academy students, led by Susan Kucharek, who advertised and conducted a successful plant sale during Worthington's Green on the Green event on May 22.
The plant sale brought in $800.
"Community support was awesome," Hrenko said.
"The sale was a very 'life skill' event for students to engage with the public using classroom skills learned during the past several months. General Science students were able to provide information about plant varieties, share their experiences of nurturing plants and build their confidence in communication skills and handling money for sales."
She said Business Academy students were able to observe the outcome of their advertising and marketing efforts, gain experience in selling a product, develop interpersonal skills in directing people to the booth and creating interest in the plant sale and also in handling money for sales.
"Materials were developed to be reused for the project next year in an effort to recycle," she said.
"Family Consumer Science classes also provided recipes to customers at the plant sale."
The plants sold for $1 each, or consumers could buy five and get one free.
From a business perspective, they "broke even," Hrenko said.
Hrenko received Learn and Serve grants of $400 to buy plant plugs and $400 for the Business Academy students to print fliers, advertise and buy T-shirts and decals for students to wear during the event.
"Our goal is to make the greenhouse self-sustaining for operating costs, more cost effective and to expand student learning through more science projects," she said.
"The plant sale was a great opportunity to showcase what types of projects are being conducted in Worthington City Schools for teaching students about science with life-sustaining effects, environmental education, energy efficiency and public awareness."
The greenhouse program began in 2005, when Hrenko began using the underutilized greenhouse on the high school's roof to teach her special needs students horticulture and career skills.
She said she sought funding for the project during the 2004-05 school year, receiving grant funds from the Worthington Education Foundation, the Parent Teacher Organization and Learn and Serve.
"From 2005 until present, the program has developed to the level of national recognition," she said. "My focus is to teach students with disabilities not only science concepts, but how plants contribute to their personal lives, their school and their community, with a sense of pride for their accomplishments.
"These projects are about students and their abilities," she said. "We have selected individual projects each year to broaden the students' experiences. This year was a collaborative effort with the Business Academy, which we hope to continue."
Hrenko has been a teacher for 29 years, with the past 10 at Worthington schools.
She said community members can help with the greenhouse project by helping her find a local business that orders a large quantity of plant plugs, to reduce initial expenses.
"We do not need 1,000 plant plugs for a single herb, but would be interested in a partial shipment, perhaps 200-300," she said.
"We could also use donations of consumables, such as soil, plant tray inserts, fertilizer and advertising materials."
Besides Kucharek, Science Teacher Leader Brian Geniusz, Learn and Serve Coordinator Rick Bradley and parent volunteer Mary Gerard also worked on the project.
The project led to Hrenko being the only high school teacher in the country to win the 2010 Making a Difference Award, given by the National Science Teacher Association and the Drug, Chemical and Associated Technologies organization.
She received $2,500 with the award to help her further expand the greenhouse program.
Hrenko's General Science students transplanted and nurtured 1,600 tomato and herb plants. They then collaborated with International Business Academy students, led by Susan Kucharek, who advertised and conducted a successful plant sale during Worthington's Green on the Green event on May 22.
The plant sale brought in $800.
"Community support was awesome," Hrenko said.
"The sale was a very 'life skill' event for students to engage with the public using classroom skills learned during the past several months. General Science students were able to provide information about plant varieties, share their experiences of nurturing plants and build their confidence in communication skills and handling money for sales."
She said Business Academy students were able to observe the outcome of their advertising and marketing efforts, gain experience in selling a product, develop interpersonal skills in directing people to the booth and creating interest in the plant sale and also in handling money for sales.
"Materials were developed to be reused for the project next year in an effort to recycle," she said.
"Family Consumer Science classes also provided recipes to customers at the plant sale."
The plants sold for $1 each, or consumers could buy five and get one free.
From a business perspective, they "broke even," Hrenko said.
Hrenko received Learn and Serve grants of $400 to buy plant plugs and $400 for the Business Academy students to print fliers, advertise and buy T-shirts and decals for students to wear during the event.
"Our goal is to make the greenhouse self-sustaining for operating costs, more cost effective and to expand student learning through more science projects," she said.
"The plant sale was a great opportunity to showcase what types of projects are being conducted in Worthington City Schools for teaching students about science with life-sustaining effects, environmental education, energy efficiency and public awareness."
The greenhouse program began in 2005, when Hrenko began using the underutilized greenhouse on the high school's roof to teach her special needs students horticulture and career skills.
She said she sought funding for the project during the 2004-05 school year, receiving grant funds from the Worthington Education Foundation, the Parent Teacher Organization and Learn and Serve.
"From 2005 until present, the program has developed to the level of national recognition," she said. "My focus is to teach students with disabilities not only science concepts, but how plants contribute to their personal lives, their school and their community, with a sense of pride for their accomplishments.
"These projects are about students and their abilities," she said. "We have selected individual projects each year to broaden the students' experiences. This year was a collaborative effort with the Business Academy, which we hope to continue."
Hrenko has been a teacher for 29 years, with the past 10 at Worthington schools.
She said community members can help with the greenhouse project by helping her find a local business that orders a large quantity of plant plugs, to reduce initial expenses.
"We do not need 1,000 plant plugs for a single herb, but would be interested in a partial shipment, perhaps 200-300," she said.
"We could also use donations of consumables, such as soil, plant tray inserts, fertilizer and advertising materials."
Besides Kucharek, Science Teacher Leader Brian Geniusz, Learn and Serve Coordinator Rick Bradley and parent volunteer Mary Gerard also worked on the project.
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