High school students from Merit Learning Center in Goshen have been working on a service-learning project at LoveWay since September of 2016. On Tuesday the 11^th of April they will install the grand finale of their service-learning project, four landscapes for LoveWay’s sensory horseback riding trail. On Wednesday students and faculty will be coming back to LoveWay to see the trail in use as LoveWay rider’s experience the updates for the first time.

When the weather was agreeable, the students would come and work once a month on cleaning the trail and laying mulch. When the weather turned colder they began working on large art projects, essentially mini-environments or landscapes that will be installed along the trail. LoveWay’s sensory trail is used as part of their therapeutic riding classes for youths with special needs. The idea behind the trail is to engage the students’ senses as they guide their horse along the quarter mile path. The students love the experience and so do the horses.

Two groups of students will be coming out on Tuesday the 11^th to install the project, one beginning at 9 am and the other at 1 pm. Then on Wednesday Merit administrators and a smaller group of students will be there as well. This has been a great opportunity to see high school-aged students empowering younger individuals with special needs; impacting both groups of people.

Nice job, Merit Learning Center students and staff!!