The sweet reward of workforce development

Dear Friend,

Last month, I joined the Honey Badger Conservation Crew from the Albuquerque Sign Language Academy (ASLA) to harvest honey at the Los Ranchos Agri-Nature Center.

You can read all about my visit with ASLA students in the Albuquerque Journalstory below.

PHOTO: U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich harvests honey with Albuquerque Sign Language Academy's Honey Badger Conservation Crew, August 13, 2024.

Earlier this year, I was proud to secure $300,000 in Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) through my work on the Senate Appropriation Committee to help ASLA expand its amazing educational and career training programming.

Helping New Mexico's young adults successfully transition into the workforce is essential for their future and our state. In this particular case, the rewards are especially sweet.

Sincerely,

Buzzing business: Sen. Heinrich visits ASLA students, harvests honey

By Gino Gutierrez / Journal Staff Writer Aug 14, 2024

Similar to astronauts suiting up for a space shuttle launch, a group of students from the Albuquerque Sign Language Academy donned protective beekeeping suits at Los Ranchos Agri-Nature Center on Tuesday.

Dressed head to toe in a white, padded suit, these students, who are part of the school's Honey Badger Youth Conservation Corps program, were ready to harvest honey from a bee farm at the center.

This time, however, they wouldn't be braving the bees alone. Joining them on their harvesting mission was U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., in a protective suit of his own. Standing with the kids among the swarms of buzzing bees, Heinrich watched as Los Ranchos Agri-Nature Center Agriculture Program Manager Joshua O'Halloran pulled honey board after honey board out of the beekeeping boxes and placed them in the harvesting pile.

As he did, the smile on the face of sophomore Serenity Hardy was easy to see - even through the cover of her protective mask.

"Learning how the bees and flowers work together is really exciting," Hardy told the Journal through American Sign Language. "It's my favorite thing."

The beekeeping and honey harvesting are part of the Albuquerque Sign Language Academy's Honey Badger Industries program, which provides their deaf and hard of hearing students with education and career training skills that meet the students' abilities.

"The programming is embedded during the (school) day, and students get to experience a variety of different industries and get workforce experience," said Charlotte Alderete-Trujillo, the high school and transition coordinator at the Albuquerque Sign Language Academy.

The school offers its middle and high school students a variety of industries in which to get involved - from bee farming and honey collection to flower arrangements and coffee and food services.

Students can also participate in community beautification services. This type of programming was introduced to the school's curriculum three years ago and has been a huge success, according to Rafe Martinez, the executive director and co-founder of the school.

"It's really good for kids to be connected to outdoor education, working with their hands and getting dirty," he said. "And our kids love being in a group that gets something done."

Heinrich's office secured $300,000 in federal funds from the FY24 Appropriations Bills for the school to help build out its educational and career training programs. Martinez said those funds will be used to refurbish an old trolley into a working coffee bar, where students will work and sell their goods.

After harvesting the honey, Heinrich visited with several other students who were working in the program's other industries and got to see the work they have been doing firsthand.

"It was pretty cool to interact with the students and see the pride they had," he said. "Not a normal day on the Hill."

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Tweet