With one student holding a wireless microphone and another a portable amplifier, the tour of The Manini Farm Project on the grounds of the Urban Garden Center had begun. As students took turns at the mic, presenting their projects and roles and walking participants through the rows of plants, it was apparent that these young adults felt an awful lot of pride in their participation.
“I like how the guests were so interested about the plants and the vegetables, and I like how I explained the Ti leaves,” said Karizzma, 2024 Department of Education (DOE) student intern.
She and fellow DOE Waipahu and Pearl City District Complex students strengthened their communications skills while demonstrating skill development in the areas of landscape maintenance, facility sanitation, plant propagation techniques, and preparing the student-propagated plants for industry needs.
Students explained how school gardens, communities, and backyard gardeners can develop small-scale farming systems to contribute to local food production. Leading by example, last week more than 200 pounds of student-grown daikon and mustards were harvested for Kapiʻolani Community College's Culinary Program and shared with members in the community.
Urban Garden Center’s Workforce Development Program represents a partnership between CTAHR, State of Hawaiʻi Dept. of Education’s Ike Loa program, and Kapiʻolani Community College's Culinary Program. UGC aims to become a research, education, and teaching facility for the college. Ike Loa seeks to teach work and job readiness skills such as time management, communication, completion of tasks, self-advocacy, and resiliency – in this case using agriculture as the growing media.
“We help students gain knowledge and working skills they will need when they enter the workforce,” says Merlinda Oania. “We do so by propagating plants from seeds to harvest (lettuce) and by cuttings (pōhinahina, ti plants, crown flowers). While growing the plants, the students pick up communication and other critical competencies.”
Program mentors, UGC volunteers – retired and current teachers in the DOE – target learning objectives that teach employability skills, she adds. They combine community worksite experience with work-based coaching, instruction, evaluation, and feedback tailored to each intern’s needs, in order to mirror up-to-date on-the-job training programs. Students learn in a natural work setting or environment, rather than classroom or training facility, performing actual work duties under the supervision of a job coach or experienced co-worker. Each intern has a student-centered learning outcome, which the mentors adjust using evidence-based learning strategies, to ensure the youths are ready for on-the-job internships.
This week, student interns have transitioned to greeting and connecting visitors with our Master Gardeners who are equipped and trained to answer visitor’s gardening inquires. Others have found joy in making butterfly-rearing kits for school-based programs. Each student may grow in a different direction, but UGC takes pride in knowing all are CTAHR rooted.