Community Based Instruction

Our young adults are skills in the community that cannot be not taught in a high school or other sheltered classroom. Teaching "in-vivo" significantly facilitates generalization of skills. Many of our programs, the Community Inclusion Program, are fully immersed in the community setting. Students are provided the opportunity to learn and model their behaviors, explore future living opportunities, and develop relationships alongside their typical peers. For some students, an opportunity to have a classroom or space is paramount to their ongoing development. To meet these needs, the Community Mainstream Program, provides access to the community a majority of the program day in an effort to meet their additional health, behavioral, or other challenges and needs.

Job / Vocational Training

Students are supported in developing job/vocational skills in various integrated community settings through volunteering, supported employment jobs, and direct hire when possible. Our goal is to prepare our students to participate in Competitive Integrated Employment to the best of their abilities. This access to workplace training looks different for every student that participates in our programs as we work to tailor these services to the wants and needs of our students.

Continuing Education

Our programs offer a number of opportunities for students to continue their educational opportunities and exposure while they participate in the Young Adult Program:

Community College Experience:

• Affords students various opportunities to learn alongside their peers in either academic or non-academic classes.

• Students who have the required skills, enroll themselves in academic classes to maintain or improve acquired academic skills from high school, although such classes are not counted towards a college diploma.

• Students enroll themselves in non-academic classes.

• Students are supported as they engage in community college classes, however not all classes or courses of study can be supported by the Young Adult Program.

YAP Workshops/Clubs:

• Many community resources are not accessible to students with significant disabilities due to requirements that target typical adults. As such, YAP designed workshops provide students with opportunities not only to learn new skills or maintain and improve on acquired skills, but also to enhance their natural abilities, talents, and gifts.

• For the 2018-19 school year our program is offering workshops in Literacy Skills, Driver’s Education, Job Skills, Self Determination/ Advocacy, Healthy Relationships, Local History, Nutrition, Media Arts, Physical Education Appreciation, Arts and Crafts, Photography, Anime, and Gardening.

Mobility Training

Our program believes that it is vital that our students learn and utilize safe practices while accessing travel opportunities within the greater Oakland community. We pride ourselves on supporting students as they access independent travel learning experiences that pushes them to participate in as independent a manner as possible. Students regularly:

• Take public transportation: AC Transit, BART, and Paratransit

• Cross Streets, practice acknowledging community/ safety signs, and travel plan for various outings or participation in scheduled activities across the community.

• Navigating one's way in a college campus, job setting, mall and other community settings.

Individual Independent Living Skills

Students are supported in learning various independent living skills as needed or based on the student's IEP goals. Examples are community safety skills, money management, and time telling.

Student Led IEP Training

Students are taught and encouraged to facilitate or co-facilitate their own IEP meetings, in whole or in part. Students are prompted to participate in this process in any one or all of the IEP phases such as before the IEP meeting, during the IEP meeting, and after the IEP meeting. Students are encouraged to share their goals and dreams and this information is taken into account when planning scheduling, program participation, and other community-based opportunities. We believe that this practice teaches and encourages the development of Self Advocacy and Determination skills to support a more independent approach to navigating future services.

Participation in Various Community Experiences

Students are supported as they explore and experience different and novel community settings and activities such as trips to San Francisco, watching sporting events, and participating in special events or field trips

Linkages to Outside Agencies

Our programs support our students transition to independent or supported living and work experiences after they leave our School District. To meet these needs we develop and foster strong relationships with the Center for Independent Living, Regional Center of the East Bay, Workability 1, Transition Partnership Program, and the Department of Rehabilitation to name a few. We have worked and continue to work to strengthen our relationships with the local business community and are always looking to partner with organizations, agencies, and individuals interested in providing the high quality supports and services that our students need and are entitled to.