KriyaNusa: Empowering Students Through the Utilization of Leisure Time: Knitting Training at Pondok Pesantren Nurul Islam Tlogosari Semarang

Abstract

This community service program aims to empower the students of Nurul Islam Islamic Boarding School in Tlogosari, Semarang, by optimizing their leisure time through knitting skills training. The partner institution faced challenges related to the limited availability of economically productive activities outside formal learning hours, particularly for students who are still financially dependent and do not yet have independent income sources. The “KriyaNusa” program was introduced as an educational solution through a structured training approach consisting of socialization sessions, technical demonstrations, and intensive hands-on mentoring (learning by doing). The program involved 35 participants inclusively, comprising 13 male students, 17 female students, and 5 boarding school administrators who served as sustainability facilitators. The results indicate a positive transformation in both participants’ soft skills and hard skills. Technically, participants were able to apply basic knitting techniques to produce simple functional products. The involvement of male students demonstrates that craft arts are not gender-restricted and possess broad business potential. The final evaluation shows increased motivation among participants to adopt knitting as an alternative productive activity. The program concludes that knitting training is effective in transforming students’ leisure time into value-added creative opportunities and has the potential to develop into an independent business unit within the boarding school environment