For the first time, BIOTROP was visited by 36 teachers from Talenta Center, a school for children with special needs on 03 October 2017. The visit was part of the Center's desire for their teachers to learn agri-based technologies that they could teach to their students for life skills development.

In his welcome remarks, SEAMEO BIOTROP Director Dr Irdika Mansur appreciated the school's vision and mission to support their students with special needs to become functional citizens. He informed the visitors that the Centre's involvement in building capacities of special school teachers on agri-based technologies is in line with the program of the Indonesian Ministry of Education and Culture and also along SEAMEO's second priority area which is on "Addressing Barriers to Inclusion". He added that the visit affirmed the plan of the Centre to become an institution that is friendly to people with disabilities.

SEAMEO BIOTROP Deputy Director for Program Dr Jess Fernandez oriented the visitors on several BIOTROP's programmes which might be useful for their school. These include regular training coursesfor teachers on urban agriculture and school garden for improving students' literacy, nutrition and entrepreneurship. He also informed the group that BIOTROP provides grants for school teachers to conduct action research projects on school garden.

The group toured and learned about the hydroponic, aquaponics, mushroom, and tissue culture production facilities of the Centre. The teachers were from the two campuses of Talenta Center in Bogor and Bekasi.