The TEENS facility currently includes a 32′ x 84′ greenhouse with additional greenhouses scheduled for construction. Students are involved in growing vegetables and herbs such as lettuce, watercress, basil and tomatoes using aquaponic and traditional growing methods. Most of the courses offered provide Executive Applications (job application and job interview training) in addition to hands-on training.
All graduates from the TEENS program receive a certificate of successful completion, three
professional references and a list of tools and/or skills to include with the job application process. Both the professional references and certificate have provided past graduates with a tangible advantage over other entry-level applicants competing for the same jobs. This program has been designed specifically to meet the needs of potential employers in the industry, therefore making the graduates much more employable.
The TEENS 12-week course consists of 2 classes per week with each class lasting for 2 hours. TEENS, Inc. offers a few course options that have been carefully tailored toward the needs, abilities and safety of the students. Below is a sample syllabus from one of the courses:
Class 1: Tour, program overview, job interview, job application.
Class 2: Career Opportunities, pay scales, job safety, employer expectations and work ethics.
Class 3: Greenhouse production. Students select crops to grow throughout the course.
Class 4: Field Trip to see a professional landscape installation.
Classes 5-7: Students design, prepare and install a small landscape project or garden for a non-profit organization, municipal facility, elderly or disabled individual.
Class 8: Field trip to a sod farm or turf management site.
Classes 9-10: Students provide a lawn “make over” for a non-profit organization, municipal facility, elderly or disabled individual.
Classes 11-12: Seasonal clean-ups, pruning, edging, raking for a non-profit organization, municipal facility, elderly or disabled individual.
Classes 13-17: Introduction to lawn maintenance: weed-eaters, push mowers, commercial mowers, techniques, safety, basic maintenance and much more.
Class 18: Mow and weed-eat an area in need for a non-profit organization, municipal facility, elderly or disabled individual.
Class 19: The value of equipment and tools.
Class 20: Field trip to another greenhouse facility.
Classes 21-23: Greenhouse production (at the TEENS facility).
Class 24: Class completion, job interview, fill out a job application, certificate of completion, professional references.