At Marchman Technical Education Center, plants are just one of the tools that transform high school students into a skilled workforce.
By MICHELE MILLER
Published January 14, 2004
[Times photo: Janel Schroeder-Norton]
Learning oxy-acetylene welding, as John Forte, 16, is doing, is just one of the skills Marchman Technical Education Center faculty are going on the road to pitch to sophomores at local high schools hoping to get their message across to those who have not found their niche in the traditional classroom.
NEW PORT RICHEY - Taking a tour of Debbie Frelick's classroom means taking a jaunt. As an agriculture teacher at Marchman Technical Education Center, her lessons are given from one end of the campus to the other.
There is the four-walled "Ag" classroom, where a recent morning had a handful of students identifying a common garter snake as the predator in one of those circle of life backyard experiences.
But most of the learning goes on out of doors, where, depending on the time of year, students' work blooms or remains dormant.
"This is really hands-on learning," said Frelick, ripping off a piece of scented geranium to stick under a visitor's nose. "The kids get to work with this stuff - to touch it, to smell it. You can't learn all this from books."
Sometimes Frelick's students sop up their knowledge in the school greenhouse, where junior Aaron Beninati tends to his pink and white orchids, along with a monkey topiary that hangs from a rafter. It's also the place where herbs such as basil, lemon grass and chives are grown for use by commercial foods classes, and students grow their plants for judging at the upcoming Pasco County Fair.
Out the door and to the right, neat rows of lettuce grown by senior Kristy White are thriving. To the left are the fruit trees: peaches, pears and apples as well as the typical citrus sort. They share space with young magnolia trees and a variety of butterfly plants that soon will make their way into the gardens at schools throughout the county.
Azaleas grow by the electrical wiring classroom; blackberries, blueberries, rambling roses and Boston ferns are here, there and everywhere.
The list goes on.
"When everything blooms in the spring this campus is really spectacular," said Principal Rob Aguis, who keeps in his office his very own blooming orchid, a gift from Frelick and her students.
During their tenure, Frelick's students will learn both the scientific and common names of some 250 plants scattered throughout the campus. They will learn how to grow a plant from seed or a cutting. They will learn about irrigation and erosion, fertilization, plant diseases and how to grow worms. Most of all, they will learn to work independently.
"That's the main skill they'll need to go to work," she said. "That's what employers want."
What employers also want is a skilled work force.
That's where Marchman Technical come in. Frelick is just one of the teachers there seeing to the educational and training needs of those who aren't necessarily heading down the college route. Between this week and last, she and a handful of her colleagues are taking the Marchman show on the road to pitch their programs to sophomores at local high schools hoping to get their message across to those who have not found their niche in the traditional classroom.
Marchman offers adult education classes and also houses the Cyesis Program for teen mothers; many students also spend one part of their day at their home high school and the other attending programs at Marchman. When they are done, they graduate with a high school diploma and a certificate of completion.
Most people want to know that their doctor is well educated. As far as those at Marchman are concerned, consumers should expect the same standard for the person who grows or prepares their food, wires their homes, fixes their cars or builds and installs their kitchen cabinets.
With development booming, there definitely is a call for skilled labor, said carpentry instructor Tom Vansickle. "It's (carpentry) a good trade," said Vansickle, who often places his students for employment in a couple of local shops. "It's a shame I can't get more kids who are interested in it. I get a handful of them (students), and they're employed before they finish school."
Unfortunately, small numbers are typical at Marchman.
Ask Frelick how many kids she has in her program, first she'll tell you, "Not enough." (There are 30.) She hopes that the new Veterinary Assisting Program that will feed into St. Petersburg College and Santa Fe Community College in Gainesville will beef up those numbers.
As principal, Aguis has spent much of his time developing partnerships with the Pasco business and manufacturing community. He and his faculty do their yearly tour of local high schools promoting programs. He talks to high school guidance and career counselors."We're still underutilized," he says. "We'd like to be full."
Especially since he knows other options - such as flipping burgers for minimum wage - aren't always great for those who aren't cut out for college.
"People think the only key to succes is a college education. But that's not always the way for all kids," Aguis said. "There are a lot of smart kids out there who have a great aptitude for a trade or technical skill.
"This school is such a great opportunity for those kids. The staff here really knows their trades. They work hard to help kids be successful and prosper. Isn't that what school's all about?"
NOTE: High School and Adult programs at Marchman include: Auto Body Repair, Auto Service Technology, Carpentry/Cabinetmaking, Commercial Art, Commercial Foods, Computer Electronics, Cosmetology, Criminal Justice Assisting, Early Childhood Education, Electricity, Environmental Horticulture, Heating, A.C. and Refrigeration, Marine Service, Printing, T.V. Production, Veterinary Assisting, Web Design, Administrative Assistant, Nursing Assistant, HRS Child Care Training, General/ Education (Job prep/college remediation), English as a Second Language, GED Preparation, Adult Reading Assistance Program, Performance Based Diploma Program.
- Students and parents interested in more information or touring the school should call (727) 774-1700.
