Students learn work skills while helping the community

ISHPEMING — A new class at Ishpeming High School has been created with the goal of giving back to the community while teaching students real life skills in the process.

Today, two Community Based Instruction students stopped by the Partridge Creek Farm to help prep the gardens for winter.
Their tasks included helping to add new soil to the top of the crops.

“The beds have settled over the summer, and it’ll add fresh soil to it, so fresh nutrients, and it will look a lot nicer,” said Farm Manager Ray Bush.

“We want to get a good feeling of community involvement with the kids,” said IHS Resource Room Teacher Kevin Harrington. “They have a lot of skills that they want to pick up in the community — construction, gardening — and these community projects will help them get a better feel for that.”

“You’re born and you’re supposed to be on earth to work,” added student Shane Barry. “It’s making me learn how to do work later on in life.”

The class just started up last week. There’s only three students on the crew so far, but organizers hope to give more kids a chance to try their hand at this learning alternative in the near future.