Atwater students developing work skills, one bouquet at a time

ATWATER, Calif. (KFSN) -- With a quick snip, Kathy Vargas is putting the finishing touches to her floral arrangement.

In the classroom, the lessons go beyond a textbook.

Atwater High Students are learning how to run a business while working at a new school floral shop.

"Our goal is to help these students learn skills that are going to help them be successful and the opportunities to do so," said floral class teacher Kaylyn Davenport.

The Falcon Flower shop opened on Thursday.

Five students, like Dakota Cook, will be managing the store while the product will stem from more than 20 students.

"I think everybody likes it. You can express yourself and it shows what you can do," said senior student Dakota Cook.

Kaylyn Davenport runs the floral classes.

She says students enrolled can qualify for UC and CSU college credit.

They can even take a test to become a certified florist.

"They also need to be able to provide some knowledge of business skills they have to run a successful floral. Do the goal of that certification to make them more employable," said Davenport.

While the students already take orders for weddings and businesses, they are now hoping to expand.

Anyone wanting an arrangement will be able to order them online.

Davenport says, ultimately, they want to teach students about marketing and teamwork.

Some students say they are growing to the idea of becoming a florist.

Others, like Vargas, say they are just glad to learn some new skills.

"I like it a lot to be able to get away from like the actual reading, and writing. Its fun and you can get creative," said Vargas.

Funding for the shop is mainly coming from the School's agriculture department, and they were able to buy a new trailer to start making deliveries.