One School at a Time: Knox Community High School wins Martin’s grant

KNOX, Ind. (WNDU) - The November winner of the Martin’s Super Market’s One School at a Time grant is Knox Community High School. That’s where the Applied Skills students are hard at work making dog treats!

The treats are more than a healthy snack for pets, they’re also teaching kids a valuable lesson.

Lia Horstmann held up a cookie cutter and explained the shape.

“It’s a doggy bone,” she said.

The doggy bone cookie cutter is an important tool at the Paws and Pals Pet Shop.

Lia loves her duties on the assembly line as she makes the “pet cookies,” as she calls them. “Because it’s fun!”

The pet cookies are dog treats that the Applied Skills students make and sell from Knox Community High School.

“Back when Covid hit, it did away with the work experience that these kiddos would go to,” said Tiffany Hoar, teacher.

Hoar says their new business is more than a fun activity.

“They’re learning those independent learning skills but they’re also doing fine motor activities. And they’re also learning those employment skills they’re going to need when they exit high school and go into the community,” said Hoar.

The Martin’s grant comes at a perfect time.

“The money from Martin’s will help us -we need more baking trays and more cookie cutters,” said Hoar.

To make more dog treats!

“We make bunches of them,” said Amaia Jenkins.

It starts with the mixing, rolling the dough and cutting the shapes.

“(We) cut them out and then we put them on the tray. Then we put them in the oven,” explained Amiah. “And then we take them out. We let them cool.”

In the room next door, there’s a team of kids ready for the next steps.

“Once they come out of the oven, they go onto the dehydrator like this,” demonstrated Thorne Stamper.

After about eight hours, the process is done.

“Viola! Your own dog treats have been dehydrated,” said Thorne.

Next, the treats are counted, packaged and labeled with ingredients.

“First one peanut butter, whole wheat, baking powder, cinnamon, flour and eggs,” said Thorne.

When asked if he had tasted them, Thorne replied, “Yes! And they taste disgusting!”

But to the dogs? They’re delicious. They’ve heard from many satisfied customers.

Thorne offered this commercial for the dog treats.

“My commercial would be just about the dog treats from the Paws and Pals Pet Shop, which have really good ingredients in them,” said Thorne.

You can order your own dog treats from Paws and Pals Pet Shop.

To nominate your school for a One School at a Time grant from Martin’s Super Markets click here: One School at a Time - Nominate Your School

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