My ideal job is to work in a prison teaching gardening as a therapeautic skill. So far I have nearly gotten my social work degree, but I really like the idea of using plants as a teaching tool. I also want to get a degree in horticulture, and then blend the two skill sets. I would like to work in a prison setting because I believe that people who have been marginalized and face being disenfranchised from the American system need to have a way to reintegrate. Horticultural therapy offers people a way to learn or re-learn nurturing skills that may have been lost in an institutionalized setting. I think being able to nurture something is a significant way to connect with other human beings and "set the stage" for being a valued member of society.
I believe firmly in an America that is inclusive. It needs to offer those who live on the fringes of society a way to become fully functioning members. I worry that we are becoming a country of haves and have-nots, and the only way to fix this is to work at offering opportunities to all our citizens. I think I can contribute to this ideal through using plants to form connection with people. I believe that giving people the chance to care for another living thing connects them, and us, to our humanity. This is my version of the American dream.
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6 comments:
Barbara, I really love your idea of using horticulture to rehabilitate imprisoned members of society. Too frequently, I feel that these people are forgotten about and left to serve out their sentence without society lending a moment's thought to actually help them improve upon their unfortunate circumstances. There is obviously a REASON why they acted the way they did, and being able to offer gardening as something of a hobby or even as a small meaning to life is a priceless opportunity.
Do you have any personal, prior experiences in this field? Have you witnessed any examples of this type of treatment being effective?
So far, I've read over half of all the blog entries pertaining to ideal jobs. In many of them, including mine, we talk about helping others. Of them, yours is the most specific. To me, that ability to specify say what you want shows a great deal of passion and dedication you have and I greatly admire that.
I too was wondering, have you tested your plan to rehabilitate in a different setting?
Barbara,
Would you work with just women? or all prisoners? Either way, I think this is a great idea! I never really thought much about people in prison, I just assume they should be there and be miserable while they are. I understand now though, that a lot of prisoners have to be reintegrated into society and believe this may be a good way to educate them!
I think it is very interesting for prisoners to use gardening as a therapeutic skill. If mass murders can learn to garden instead of killing I guess it would solve much of our worlds homicide issues.
To be honest, I think you have the most interesting ideal career of all the posts I read. Its not the typical doctor, teacher, lawyer thing. When I first read the first line, I was like wait are you serious but as you explain it I really understood and I can see you are very passionate about what you want to do. I really hope your idea works out well and you can help some of the people in the prison system.
Barbara,
Your dream job is awesome. I love that you are excited to work with a population that garners little positive attention. There are millions of people currently incarcerated, people that have the capacity to be productive members of society. I think that radical programs, like the one you propose in your blog, are the true pathway to progress and success. It has been proven through time that a lot of methods and ideas have either failed or only work a part of the way. It is time to start thinking outside of the box, which in this case, will serve people living inside of it. I truly believe that we need to :offer those who live on the fringes of society a way to become fully functioning members." Your horticultural therapy program has huge implications that could lead to widespread change and growth among populations within the prison community. If your program was successful in Maryland, there is no reason that it couldn't be replicated in other states. In addition to being a successful therapy, for inmates that are drawn to the field of plants and soils, it could lead to trade-based education that prepares them for work outside of the penitentiary. While I sincerely believe in everything that I have read on other blogs, I wish that your American Dream comes true the most. As you alluded to, millions of people have been marginalized and face disenfranchisement and you have designed an elegant, practical way to engage them fight against those trends. I wish you the best on your quest to make this dream a reality.
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