Flowers are sure to brighten a day, and at Brush High School, staff are occasionally surprised with this lovely treat, compliments of the Flower Club.

Now in its third year, the Flower Club is part of Brush’s Arc’s Community Vocational Training (ACVT) program, and it is a highlight for both givers and receivers! Born out of happenstance, the club began when a friend of ACVT job training coordinator Emily Lynch mentioned her mission to “save” flowers at the end of their shelf life from the store and pass them along to local nursing homes, fire stations, and anywhere else she can think to brighten a room. Which gave Lynch an idea - her students could get involved in this flower-saving mission while developing important skills.

The ACVT program supports high school juniors and seniors with physical and intellectual disabilities to prepare for a transition into adulthood. Students learn necessary job skills by spending half their day in the classroom and half their day working in a community business with a job coach, practicing workplace “soft-skills” that will help build an independent life post-graduation.

Flower Club allows the students to enjoy the hands-on experience of arranging flowers into bouquets in vases, organizing requests from teachers, and delivering them to the recipients. Developing good customer service skills is made easier when the customer is receiving a beautiful bouquet of flowers!

The ACVT program is in its tenth year of helping prepare students for life after Brush High School.