Floyd’s School-to-Work Program wins award

William Floyd High School’s School-to-Work class, under the direction of teacher Mike Luisi, has been selected as the recipient of the Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) Outstanding Community Collaborator Award by the CCE Suffolk County Farm! This award recognizes outstanding community members who are integral to the success of CCE’s educational programs and mission. 

“This award reflects all of the hard work and dedication that the students bring forth every day,” said Luisi. “The sense of pride and work ethic they develop is a sight to behold.”

Luisi’s class frequently visits the Suffolk County Farm to pitch in on caring for the animals and learning other skills to help them in their future employment. 

At their last visit to the farm, students organized and bagged animal food that will be sold to the public, used a die-cut machine to create decorations for an upcoming event, cut pipe cleaners for a craft for another upcoming event, and helped brush and socialize the animals, including rabbits, that are brought into classrooms and used as part of CCE’s educational programs.

“The high school’s School-to-Work programs afford our students the opportunity to develop job specific skills, as well as soft skills, as they work in a variety of settings,” said Emily Gomez, chairperson, Special Education Department, William Floyd School District. “Additionally, students get to see firsthand how their efforts make a difference as they work cooperatively with community members and their peers.”

The award will be presented at CCE’s annual meeting this November.