SHS’s TTI Classroom Project

Summer vacation did not stop the Transition to Independence special needs students at Seneca High School from working.  The class started a project in the spring and completed it this summer.  This past spring, thanks to money donated to the class by the Knights of Columbus of Seneca, the TTI students used the money to plant and maintain two vegetable gardens.  The students spent many days tilling, weeding, fertilizing and preparing their garden soil in order to plant garden vegetables.  They purchased tomato, squash, cucumber, zucchini, bell pepper, jalapeno pepper and banana pepper plants from the Seneca High Agriculture classes, then planted, and cared for them until school was out. Since that time, different students and their parents have helped to weed and fertilize even on the hottest days to help care for the plants as they grew.  The first crop came in around the very end of June and since then they have been picking the vegetables and taking them to Our Daily Bread to help feed the hungry in our community.  It was the students’ way of giving back to the community from what was given to them. This project not only taught students about gardening, planting and eating healthy, but it also taught them responsibility and thinking of others as well.  One parent commented that it was so wonderful to find an activity where her child could participate although disabled and have the opportunity to feel good about helping someone else.  The class now plans to plant a winter garden as well.