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Career Pathways — Agriculture
Page 24 Electronic Edition: www.teachingtodaymn.com

OHA Garden Club Grows Friendship and Passion for Gardening

the school. The Club is open to all students The Club’s recent initiative has been
and activities are during the school day to reseeding the prairie behind OHA. In 2023,
ensure all students can participate. The Club the Club received a grant from the Minne-
was originally started by Amy Finden with sota Department of Natural Resources and the
support from other special education teach- Washington Conservation District to conduct
ers so that “everyone can find success in the a planned burn. A field burn rejuvenates and
garden.” Ms. Finden shared, “Being a part of a enhances native plant communities, reduces
garden club during the school day is a wonder- invasive species, and improves wildlife
ful way to get General and Special Education habitat. This spring, the students will work
students working together. This benefits both together to overseed and plant seed plugs in
groups and ensures access and equity for all of the space, adding a variety of species to the
our learners!” area that will bloom while students are in
The OHA Garden Club’s work has school.
included planting the gardens in front of the This incredible group encourages indi-
schools and increasing plant differentiation. vidual growth, cultivates an inclusive learning
The students are collaboratively responsible environment for students, and allows friend-
for the digging, planting, and mulch laying; ships to bloom.
Caroline Burge around O.H. Anderson (OHA) Elementary the result of their efforts and devotion to the
Class of 2024 student at Mahtomedi High School. The curators of this beautiful space beautification of the community is a bright
School and Mahtomedi Public Schools are students in the OHA Garden Club, led by and lively space for all to enjoy. The Club also
Communications Intern special education teacher Amy Finden. allows interested teachers to lead projects with mahtomedi.k12.mn.us
As spring approaches, we will soon see For four years, the OHA Garden Club has financial support from grants that the OHA
flowers and plants emerge from the ground brought students together to build friendships, Garden Club has received.
grow their passion for gardening, and beautify

Martin County West Ag Education — Keerti Tumu’s Dive into Science

CTE in Action Continued from Page 20 Research & Design Continued from Page 23

intro to these trades analysis, and drawing conclusions. In addi- it!’ Show off that you participated in a
prior to furthering their tion to building those skills, one of Keerti’s Pathway, because if I had more time,
education at a trades favorite aspects of her Capstone experience I would have definitely done the same
school in any of those was the freedom to conduct her own research thing!”
pathways. on a topic she is passionate about. As she — Keerti Tumu
There are two explained, “[the Capstone] really gives you
new classes that have the opportunity to explore what you want to “I’d say that you have to have a
proven to be very do in your future with more freedom. Obvi- passion for something. You have to be
popular. MCW offers ously it was really fun for me to take AP Bio able to pick something up and refine
a diesel technician and Chem, but [the Capstone] allowed me it and then really dig and do a lot of
style course called Ag to actually do it myself, so I think that’s a background reading to figure out what
Equipment Mainte- very fun part of taking Capstones.” Now that it is you’re trying to answer exactly,
nance and Technology, she’s had a chance to dig into “the details because it’s not going to be a repeat
where over the course and technicality that it takes to actually have of what’s ever been done before by
of a year students learn an experiment run,” Keerti is better pre- anybody. It’s going to be an extension
about the electrical, pared for the research she plans to conduct of that.”
hydraulic, drive train, in college! — Mr. Jayson Sandeen
and diesel systems found in ag, construction, tion. Through this course, students have the Advice for students considering the
and transportation equipment. This class opportunity to learn geometry alongside Science Research & Design Capstone
has been made possible by the partnership construction where they are given practical, “If an underclassman is looking
with local businesses such as Ziegler CAT, real-life applications to the math that they are into [pursuing] a Pathway, I’d say go www.edenpr.org
Miller Sellner, and No BS Performance and learning. Students get a construction credit in for it! If I had this opportunity sooner
is designed to prepare students to potentially addition to the full year of geometry credit in my high school career, I probably
enter the workforce as a diesel technician and build garden sheds for the community. would have intensively pursued a
right after high school. Pathway, because it does make a dif-
Lastly, MCW offers a construc- ference on your college application; it
tion course that is paired up with the math www.martin.k12.mn.us shows colleges that you have a [focus]
department called Geometry in Construc- and so I would say ‘definitely go for

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