Learning Links School takes creative approach in teaching special needs students the skills to open spa product store – WSVN 7News | Miami News, Weather, Sports
(WSVN) – South Florida students with special needs are learning some valuable life skills in a creative way. Jordan Kissane shows us in this 7Spotlight.
The shelves at this South Florida store are lined with handmade scented candles, soaps and scrubs.
Daniella, student: “The favorite one is Cactus Flower and Jade.”
They’re all made by students from Learning Links, a school for children and young adults with autism and other disabilities. Students receive an education and are taught skills that can later help them find jobs.
Yarisa Echevarria, Founder of Learning Links: “Life skills and certain skills that don’t necessarily come natural to our students, and we help them through that. We give them the hands on to make all these things that they learn all of a sudden make sense to them.”
Teacher: “Very good, Kathy. Amazing!”
A few years ago, students at Learning Links were able to take what they learned in class and create their own line of scented spa products.
Martina Baldwin, Program Director: “So we make scrubs, and we also make soaps, and we make diffusers, and we also make room sprays. We help them out with measurements and things like that, placements of the wicks, making sure that they’re doing it themselves, but maintaining the quality of the product as well.”
The products were a hit, so they started selling them online and at local farmer’s markets.
After a few years, the school decided it was time for the students to open their own store in the Hammocks community in Southwest Miami-Dade.
Daniella: “Welcome to Beyond Links Marketplace.”
Yarisa Echevarria: “So everything in the store is made by the students.”
Students are involved in every aspect of the business here at Beyond Links Marketplace, from creating the products to selling them.
Yarisa Echevarria: “Everything from taking orders, fulfilling orders, creating the product, labeling, packaging and working the front of the store, customer service, you know, register.”
Beyond Links Marketplace held its grand opening over the weekend.
Daniella: “The Beyond Links Marketplace is open for business!”
It gave students like Daniella an opportunity to work with customers.
Daniella: “I worked at the cashier for the customers, and I said, ‘Have a nice day’ to everyone else, and everyone was very proud of me.”
Yarisa is proud to see these young adults thrive.
Yarisa Echevarria: “And I think the key, the goal for this program is to let our community know how great our kids are and how much talent and how many skills they have if they’re just given the right chance.”
She hopes it shows them that creating candles can help them create a brighter future.
Jordan Kissane, 7News.
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