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Community Corner

Community Classroom Partners High School Students With Local Businesses

Community Classroom Provides Students With Real Life, On The Job Experience As Well As Critical Life Skills.

A new program at will partner students with local businesses, providing students with real life, on the job experience as well as critical life skills. Called Community Classroom the program will being in the fall and is primarily for students ages 15 to 21, identified as intellectual disabled.

This work/study program will involve two to three days a week in a work environment. The school has already established partnerships with , , and Westerly Hospital.

The goal is to provide these students with ”life skills and job-related experiences in the community,” Director of Special Services Virginia Brown said.

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Not only does the program have significant benefits for all parties it is projected to save money; $165,000 next year, with eight students and the potential for more savings as the program grows.

At the Mystic Aquarium students have been working in all different departments for the past year. Kelly Matis of the Mystic Aquarium said the students are “an absolute joy. Magnificent, unique individuals,” a feeling she said, that resonates among staff. 

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Peter Morris of Avalon Health Center at StoneRidge, said the “residents light up when the students come in.” 

Morris said the students have worked in a variety of positions including food and beverage as well as housekeeping.

“They are great performers and we already know it is going to work, it’s a win-win situation,” said Morris who sees the potential for long-term success long after the program ends for participants at age 21.

Students have time in the classroom to learn life skills including interview skills, money management, job training and many others. 

“Most importantly they learn to advocate for themselves,” Special Education teacher Deidre Toole said.

Toole has worked with many of these students since sixth grade.

Typically these students would work with various agencies with work/study programs. The various agencies would supervise the students. The community classroom program will allow the students to stay closer to home and keep a connection with the high school.

“Agencies are doing a good job but I think we will be doing a great job,” Toole said.

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