Blog

By Nathan H., Student in Quest Kids Academy's Work-Study Program

Last school year, I started a new class at Quest Kids Academy called Work-Study Class.  In Work-Study Class, I learned that I have to meet expectations for my job to get paid.  That means that I need to pay attention during new task training, ask for clarification, complete my tasks just like my supervisor taught me, and ask for feedback after I complete a task.  If I have old tasks, I have to manage my time and complete my tasks without help.  My Work-Study class supervisor, Mrs. Frances, taught me how to work in job environments.

One day, I went to an important meeting with Mr. John Gill, Ms. Erica, and Ms. Brooke.  After the meeting, my classmates and I started working on the Blossom project!  We got tasks like wrapping soaps, inspecting soaps and checking quality control, taking inventory, updating the Excel inventory spreadsheet, and restocking soaps at a neighborhood store called Eola General.

A couple months ago, the Blossom website launched.  After the launch, we got orders through the roof!  People felt excited and were ordering soaps like crazy.  I asked my mom share the website on Facebook with her friends and our family.  After she shared the website, her friends and our family shared it with their friends and family and so on…

Over the summer, I wanted to help Blossom soar!  I asked Mr. Rob if I could have training at Quest Training Center-Orlando (QTC-O), and he said “yes!”  Mr. Rob said I could be the first official Blossom employee on the payroll!  I felt so excited that I almost fainted.  I had to get some training from Mr. Mike.  He taught me how to plug the inventory on the back end of the Blossom website.  He also taught me a new way of counting soaps that was different from how Mrs. Frances taught me.

A week after my first shift at QTC-O, I got my first paycheck!  I felt so excited!  I’m currently saving up for a Scar stuffed animal from The Lion King.  I want to work every day and get more hours.  The more hours I work, the more money I get!  My plan is to save up for things I want, like stuffed animals, soundtracks, Legos, and video games.

My future hope is to work at QTC-O.  I want to work there because it’s exciting and fun to go to work.  I want to become the president of Blossom.  I can achieve this by working hard and getting more hours in at QTC-O.  I should also have a nice but strict leadership.  I have to learn how to run a company.  Finally, I will help new employees when they start working for Blossom!

Blossom is the best!  Please buy our soaps!!!

At Blossom, we are committed to helping our community as well as the planet. That’s why we use seed paper to wrap each individual 5oz. bar of soap.

The idea of using seed paper blossomed from the mind of one of our soap team members, Candice. She brought up the idea to the team and it was rooted in our minds! “What kind of seeds are inside the seed paper?” you ask? Wildflower seeds! Buy a bar of soap, plant the paper and watch your wildflowers grow! Or, buy several bars of soap and plant a whole garden of wildflowers!

We grow all-natural herbs in our pesticide-free Blossom garden. In a unique attempt at helping the environment, Kelly, our Blossom mastermind, came up with the idea to use a rain barrel to water the plants in our garden. When it rains, the barrel collects the water and then gravity transfers the water into the garden beds to water our herbs. Less water wasted and happy, healthy plants. It’s a win-win!

We strive to make a difference in our planet’s health. Our eco-friendly use of seed paper wrappers and rain barrel provides a “less plastic, less waste” kind of mentality to packaging and gardening. We’re always looking for new ways in which we can update our production to help the environment. We hope other companies follow our example.

You can help the environment, too! Join us by planting your seed paper.

Instructions on how to use the seed paper (also located on every seed paper wrapper):

• Soak the seed paper overnight

• Plant in 1/8” soil in plenty of sun

• Watch it Blossom

By Frances Torres, Resource Specialist at Quest Kids Academy

I knew my boys were ready for a challenge. They needed a project which would allow them to showcase the skills they had been learning in Quest Kids Academy’s Work-Study Class. I just wasn’t sure how to provide them with this opportunity. I knew that if an employer saw my students asking follow-up questions during new task training, asking for and applying feedback, and working together, that they would get a chance.

I’ve worked at Quest for almost 10 years and there are two things I know for sure- we are always looking out for talent and encourage the individuals we serve to pursue opportunities as they arise. But, if an opportunity does not present itself, we create one. I knew that if I kept talking about my students, their skill set, and hopes for the future, that we’d get the project we needed. And that’s exactly what happened!

After a very important meeting with Quest leadership, the boys walked away with Blossom packaging, inventory, and art tasks. Each student was placed on a team based on their preferences and strengths. Every task was meaningful and directly contributed to the overall look and quality of the product.

From the start, the boys understood this project was special. They took ownership over every task, from managing an inventory spreadsheet in Excel, to making sure the Blossom logo was centered just right on the soaps before sealing the wrapper. Blossom was their first job and they were loving every minute of it.

Throughout the school year, the boys taught us all a wonderful lesson. A job is so much more than the tasks you do every day. A job provides you the opportunity to become a better version of yourself. It’s not just about packaging and counting soap bars, inputting data in Excel, or working the Blossom stand at an event. It’s about being part of a bigger team. That’s what they love. The sense of community and acceptance. Not only are they learning meaningful skills they can carry for the rest of their lives, they are valued members of team Blossom.

At least once a week, I get this question: “Do you think I will get a full-time job at Blossom?” I love how they are thinking this way. I love how after taking on this new challenge, they believe that anything is possible. I can’t wait to see what the future brings.