From little seeds, grow mighty trees – Here come the B.R.I.D.G.E.S. Gardeners! Last week, the B.R.I.D.G.E.S. program had the opportunity to participate in a virtual gardening experience with their classmates!
A week prior to the Community Based Instruction (CBI), students reviewed in class how to use their budgeting skills so that they would not exceed their gift card limit when it came time to choose the correct pots and plants as well as calculating tax. At the end of that week, students drove by the school to pick up their gardening materials along with their Home Depot gift card. Students were instructed to purchase two to three plants, a pot, a trowel, and most importantly not to exceed their $20.00 limit.
Last Friday, the class came together virtually for their gardening experience. They followed specific directions on how to re-pot the plants they purchased by carefully pulling them out of the container. Once all the plants were out of the containers, students added more soil to secure the plants. Some of the students decided that using their hands was much easier than the trowel. One of the students even remarked that, “Shoveling dirt is a real work out!”
While the students were at work, facilitators Kathy and Donna spoke to the class about the importance of plant care. They emphasized that some plants needed more sun than others, and that some plants needed to be watered more frequently than others.
This gardening CBI not only focuses on gardening skills, but also focused on all aspects of our B.R.I.D.G.E.S. mission – Budgeting, Resources, Independence, Development, Growth, Empowerment, and Social Skills!
Stay tuned because in a month, we will get to circle back and have the students share how their plant has been surviving under their care. We are looking forward to seeing the beautiful flowers that our B.R.I.D.G.E.S. students worked so hard to put together!
