When Grice Middle School principal David Innocenzi is out with friends and family, he often receives compliments on his orange and black glass necklace. People notice the swirls, lines and distinctive patterns, and ask where he found something so unique.
The answer often surprises people. Innocenzi didn’t buy it from a traditional retail store. Instead, he bought it just a few doors down from his office in a Grice classroom.
Students in Susan Conrad’s Life Skills class run a business program called Vibrant Fusions, where students make and sell their own jewelry. In Conrad’s class students learn basic skills—such as reading a calendar and counting money—throughout the year. Vibrant Fusions then brings those skills to the next level by allowing students to apply them in a hands-on setting.
“I’m so proud of them because they put their heart and souls into it, they really did,” Conrad said. “They’re such good kids.”
The students’ passion was evident during their May 6 Mega Sale event. After months of hard work, students were able to sell their jewelry and, more importantly, show off their knowledge of the jewelry making process to staff, parents and other shoppers.
The class is small, made up of only 10 students in grades six through eight, but the small size allows each student to have a large role during the sale. The classroom was transformed into a shopping center, complete with a cashier, greeter, baked goods and plenty of displays showcasing the jewelry.
As Conrad asked the students questions about the process of making jewelry, they quickly raised their hands to answer, eager to show off what they know.
“We’ve had so many visitors come in, and every time I rarely say anything,” Conrad said. “They know how to do it start to finish.”
The jewelry made by students looks like it was created by professional artists, partly due to the time and attention to detail each student puts into their work. Students go beyond simply focusing on their designs, as they want to fully understand the process of how to make—and then sell—the jewelry. They know every detail of the program, from what temperature the kiln has to be to how to properly sand and clean their necklaces.
“It’s just such a joy seeing their excitement and seeing the product of something they’ve done on their own, seeing their success—that they know that they can accomplish things,” classroom assistant Melissa Hooper said. “Their pride in it’s phenomenal.”
While each student takes pride in their work, they also take pride in being able to make something for others. Many students make necklaces for parents, for the “Principal Innocenzi” collection—which features primarily black and orange designs—or to raise awareness for different diseases and causes. Seventh grader Marty Taylor decided to make a necklace supporting breast cancer awareness after his mom’s friend was diagnosed with the disease.
“If I was a woman and I had breast cancer, I’d feel bad for myself, so I made something so people don’t feel bad about themselves,” he said. “I want them to know somebody out there likes them.”
Innocenzi said one of the things that strikes him most about the program is how it’s helped 12- and 13-year-old students understand difficult topics, including the importance of showing support for people with an illness.
“Instead of just saying ‘Mr. Innocenzi buy mine, buy mine’ they’re saying ‘look, this supports Lyme Disease,’ so they’re aware of social issues,” he said.
Learning social skills is a huge component of the class, Conrad said, and being able to interact with people from outside their class lets them put the skills they’ve learned to the test.
“They get exposed to so many different types of people, and they love the accolades they get for their work,” Conrad said.
Conrad explained that it’s easy for most middle schoolers to count out the change from a $5 bill after someone purchased a $3 item, but it doesn’t come naturally for her students. They take more time to think about it because it doesn’t come naturally to them, which could be frustrating for someone who quickly wanted to run in, buy something and be on their way.
The staff, however, is not only patient with the students, but helps them understand how to figure out the right amount of change, no matter how long it may take.
“It’s a very supportive group in here,” Conrad said. “We’re like a family.”
Vibrant Fusions, which is in its third year, helps students develop their social and life skills through organic, supportive interactions with others, which goes beyond what they’d be able to do in a more traditional classroom setting.
“Emandy [Paul] has been here all three years—he’s the only eighth grader—he has made remarkable improvement, especially in being the greeter,” Conrad said. “He speaks more clearly, and he’s more open with the people that come in.”
Each piece costs $5 to $12, and all of the money raised from the jewelry goes back into the class, funding more projects or class trips. This year, the students went to WheatonArts, an exhibit oriented glass museum in Millville. They came back from the trip inspired to take their art to the next level, but for Innocenzi, it’s the staff and students behind Vibrant Fusions that inspire him.
“Whenever I’m having a bad day I like to come down to this room,” Innocenzi said. “The students are very sincere, they’re very dedicated to their learning, the staff is dedicated to teaching the students. It makes my day.”
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