Photo submitted to Times Observer Officials check out the improvements to the Marieville Community Garden on Monday following a ceremony recognizing students from Abraxas for doing the work — over 1,500 hours of it.

After over 1,500 hours of design and construction, students from Abraxas celebrated the renovation of a community garden in Marienville.

The project was a collaborative effort involving Abraxas, the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry’s Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR), Jenks Township, Forest Area School District, the Marienville Library, and the community.

“Abraxas started this project in May 2021 as part of the new OVR My Work program,” Abraxas Workforce Development Coordinator Dave Fitch said. “This program is for students who are juniors or seniors and puts them in a community project work opportunity.”

“This renovation project provided students a paid opportunity to gain transferable skills for employment while reinforcing the development of a skilled workforce equipped to meet economic challenges across the commonwealth,” L&I Press Secretary Alex Peterson said.

“Students were taught skills in landscaping, carpentry, masonry, and painting as well as communication and team building,” Fitch said. “Today was a celebration to thank all the partners that have made this project a success with hopes that we will continue working together on future additions to the garden.”

“The completion of this garden represents the continued development of all students involved,” OVR Acting Executive Director Ryan Hyde said. “They can now take the skills they have learned and move on to new opportunities in their hometowns, strengthening the commonwealth’s workforce. We at OVR are proud of them and thank all of our partners that helped make this possible.”

My Work started in 2016 with about 50 students in Allegheny County.

“This year, the My Work Initiative expanded to 13 OVR district offices, providing paid work experiences to an estimated 400 students with disabilities across the commonwealth,” Peterson said.