MOHEGAN LAKE, N.Y., Dec. 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Shrub Oak International School is proud to highlight The Little Oak Farmstand, an initiative developed by the school’s farm program to provide students with meaningful opportunities to build real-world skills. Operated by the staff and students at Shrub Oak specifically for the Shrub Oak International School community, The Little Oak Farmstand features items that students help grow and create, supporting both skill development and a sense of pride and accomplishment.

Students play an active role in the Farmstand’s work, contributing in individualized and developmentally appropriate ways. Student involvement may include assisting with growing and harvesting produce, creating holiday items such as simmer pots from dehydrated oranges, creatively packaging and organizing displays, and preparing items for distribution within the school community. Through these experiences, students strengthen independence, teamwork, and communication, while participating in work that feels purposeful and tangible.

“Through The Little Oak Farmstand, students are building skills they can carry with them—learning how to follow steps and work as part of a team,” said Samantha Supino, BSAS, Director of Facilities and Agriculture. “It builds confidence in such a real and visible way, and watching that confidence grow is truly what makes me love my job.”

Rooted in Shrub Oak’s campus farm program, The Little Oak Farmstand supports student growth in a setting that extends learning beyond traditional instruction. The farm environment provides structure, consistency, and hands-on engagement, while also encouraging flexibility, problem-solving, and collaboration through real tasks and shared responsibilities. Students learn by doing, gaining practical experience through routines that reinforce both academic concepts and therapeutic goals.

Participation in the Farmstand supports a wide range of skills connected to long-term readiness and independence. Students develop responsibility and self-management through consistent involvement while strengthening communication skills through structured interactions with peers and staff. The Farmstand also reinforces applied math and everyday problem-solving as students assist with measuring, counting, organizing materials, packaging items, and supporting inventory. Throughout the process, students gain vocationally relevant skills such as teamwork, task completion, sequencing steps, and contributing to a shared routine.

The Farmstand offers students an opportunity to see the impact of their work in a direct and meaningful way within their school community. As students take part in the ongoing work of the Farmstand, they build pride in what they have helped create while strengthening skills that support long-term independence.

“At the end of the day, the Farmstand is about helping students recognize their own capabilities,” Supino added. “They’re practicing real skills, contributing to something meaningful, and building confidence step by step. It’s incredible to watch that growth take shape.”

About Shrub Oak International School and The Pines at Shrub Oak

The mission of Shrub Oak International School is to improve the lives of autistic children, adolescents, and young adults. Through individualized, strengths- and passion-based learning, the school helps students form meaningful relationships, navigate their communities, and maximize their potential.

Located on the campus of Shrub Oak International School, The Pines at Shrub Oak is a specialized therapeutic program designed to address the unique needs of neurodiverse children, adolescents, and young adults—with or without an autism diagnosis—who require intensive psychiatric support.

Shrub Oak International School is accredited by:

• The National Independent Private Schools Association (NIPSA), Level III Therapeutic Certification, Academic Accreditation, with an Autism Endorsement;
   
• The Middle States Association Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools (MSA-CESS), a globally recognized leader in school accreditation and improvement; and
   
• Cognia, signifying that the school meets or exceeds rigorous standards of educational quality and effectiveness.

For more information about Shrub Oak International School, visit www.shruboak.org or contact Lauren Koffler at [email protected].

SOURCE Shrub Oak International School