Project Build a Better Future teaches Ephrata Area School District students, ages 17-21 with special needs, how to prepare for life outside the classroom. The program, now it its eighth school year, helps assist students to become as independent as possible, improve job skills for future work experiences, and create a seamless transition to life after school. Students are given hands-on learning opportunities within a classroom that has been converted to an apartment and outside the classroom through employment and volunteer projects.
“Our team works with students and assists them in learning skills for life which we divide into three areas: daily living skills, personal/social skills, and employment preparation,” said Patrice Laboranti, Project Build a Better Future Teacher. These skills include, but are not limited to, banking and budgeting finances, managing a household, discovering recreational activities, using public transportation, acquiring self-confidence, communicating with others, exploring employment, demonstrating proper work habits and behaviors, and much more. Implementation and tracking of these skills are evident through personal and work portfolios students maintain as part of the program.
Additionally, Project Build a Better Future encourages students to participate in volunteer opportunities and assists with securing employment whenever possible. Students volunteer at various community organizations on a regular basis, and many maintain employment and internships as part of their involvement in Project Build a Better Future.
Recently, students practiced using public transportation to Lancaster to spend time exploring Central Market. They then boarded the Red Road Transit bus back to Ephrata before the end of the school day. This trip created many real-world learning experiences, including use of the Red Rose Transit Authority mobile app, ordering lunch, and navigating their walk as a group in Lancaster City.
“We believe students with special needs can be productive members of society while feeling a sense of pride and happiness in their lives. It’s a rewarding feeling to see all parts of a student’s community come together to help him or her meet personal goals,” said Mrs. Susan Summers-Steffy, Ephrata Area School District Coordinator of Student Support Services.