Feb. 18, 2023 - When it comes to career and technical education (CTE) classes, one in particular has been quietly gaining popularity among students in the Comal Independent School District – floral design.
Offered at four of Comal ISD’s high schools, Canyon High, Canyon Lake High, Davenport High and Smithson Valley High, floral design classes have seen an increase in student enrollment annually.
“Floral to me is a way that I can express myself,” says Emily Pena, a senior at CLHS. “It really helps me relax at the end of the day. It allows me to focus on the flowers and relax from the day.”
While floral design offers a nice break for students whose schedules may include physics, history and calculus, it also gives them the opportunity to earn industry-based certifications which they can use in the workforce.
“Floral design is a great alternative for students within the agriculture program,” says Alyssa Peterson, the CTE floral design teacher at CLHS. “Not every student in agriculture wants to take livestock or veterinary or welding. Floral is a great place for them to take an agriculture class, take a CTE class, and get those certifications without doing something that is outside their wheelhouse.”
Listed within the Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources CTE career cluster, floral design begins with teaching students the basics of how to use tools, what the tools are and how to make floral arrangements. Advanced classes focus on how to meet the needs and expectations of clients as well as time management and entrepreneurial skills such as working within a budget, purchasing materials and more.
In fact, as the floral design program at CLHS grows, more people in the community are reaching out to Peterson asking if her students can create floral designs for their events. In fthe fall, CLHS students created beautiful centerpieces for the district’s annual Night of Stars banquet, and they are working on pieces for a wedding at the end of the month.
“What’s great about this, is that even if they are not a paying customer, the students are learning how to create arrangements and designs based on the customer’s needs and not on their own personal preferences,” Peterson says.
Of course, working with clients and events also means learning about time management and budgeting, making floral design so much more than just arranging pretty flowers.
As with all CTE programs at Comal ISD, floral design classes are always interested in partnering with community businesses which can offer students greater insight into related careers and jobs in the floral or landscaping industry. Contact Renee Martinez at [email protected].
-Canyon Lake High School students work on floral arrangements.
-Canyon Lake High School student Emily Pena enjoys taking floral design because it give here the opportunity to be creative.
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