OWL participants show appreciation to partners
Students in Cutter Morning Star High School’s Opportunities for WorkBased Learning program showed their appreciation Friday to the employers and volunteers teaching them skills they need outside the classroom.
Through this program, eight students are able to work off-site for a few class periods during the day with various businesses around Hot Springs or take floral design and sewing classes with volunteers on campus, then sell their products.
Students are paid $8.50 an hour for their work through Arkansas Rehabilitation Services and Arkansas Transition Services and work with businesses and agencies including Xpress Boats, Veranda Boats, Kilwin’s, Will’s Cinnamon Shop, Garvan Woodland Gardens and Kindred Hospice.
“All these people volunteer to let our kids come in and work,” said Cathy Davis, special education teacher. “Kitty Conrad from Kindred Hospice, not only does she allow our students to work, but she does a lot of volunteer work for us. She comes to Eagle Wing Night. She comes to all our parent meetings.”
Through the program, 30 students overall take part in resume writing and mock interview preparation, as well as guest speaker events. In order to get their jobs, students also have to interview with the business partners.
“All of it is just about careers and teaching them basically how to survive outside in the world,” Davis said.
“It’s giving them all those skills and connecting them in the community.”
Four students, she said, have gotten ServSafe certified for free through the grant. By the end of the school year, Davis said students will be OSHA and ServSafe certified, as well as hospitality and customer service certified.
Davis told the business partners during a special breakfast that the program would not be successful without their support.
“When you think about it, how
much you are doing for each one of these students that are sitting here, I’m just amazed and grateful for it,” she said.
Conrad said at Kindred Hospice, students stay busy when they are in the office, and they are making an impact on employees of the organization.
“I know this is a program to help them, but it’s also helping us because we’re learning to look at it from a younger viewpoint,” she said. “These young people that we’re bringing up and
bringing along behind us, we can trust them to carry on our futures. I’m really proud to have them at our facility.”
Kathy McKonkie, who volunteers to teach floral design, said the students just got a significant contract with DoubleTree Hotel in Little Rock for arrangements and table runners in the dining room and lobby. Davis said that contract is worth $500.
Sharla Morphew said her son, 12th-grader Keaton Polke, gained self-worth through the various jobs he’s had in the program, when he
previously did very little after coming home from a day at school.
“He comes home every day talking about what he’s done, what he’s gotten to do, how he’s been promoted — he has self-worth,” she said. “He actually works at Domino’s, too. The kid is dedicated to his job. He doesn’t ask to stay home. He doesn’t pretend to be sick. He buys his own clothes now, which is great because he likes American Eagle. He values the experience that he’s gained and if it weren’t for people like you guys then
he wouldn’t have that.”
Polke’s story is no different from the other students in the program, principal Nathan Sullivan said.
“All kids have things that they want, but now they have the means to get those things themselves,” he said. “It may be small things like shoes and clothes now, but eventually they’re going to want to live on their own. They’re going to want to own their own homes, their own cars. Now they just realize the value of hard work and what they can be.”