The idea was sparked when Miss Lisa Trotto, an educator at Galileo Adult Education Centre, attended a professional development conference featuring PEERS® (Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills). PEERS® is an evidence-based social skills intervention program that has shown remarkable success in helping students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety, depression, and other social challenges develop meaningful friendships and improve their relational skills.

Inspired by this program, Miss Lisa Trotto and Miss Vera Tronca decided to collaborate and adapt one of its core components: educational videos showcasing students acting out two contrasting examples of behavior—one appropriate and one inappropriate. But they took it a step further, aligning the project with their own diverse population and tailoring it to address their unique needs. By gathering input directly from our students, we discovered the specific social challenges they were most eager to tackle: how to enter a conversation, keep one going, behave appropriately in class, and more. This student-driven approach not only increases engagement but also encourages autonomy, as they see themselves and their peers modeling real-world social scenarios.

Our mission is to empower adults with special needs by providing them with engaging, real-world resources that enhance their social, life, and work skills. Through student-created videos, we aim to foster independence, confidence, and personal growth. 

This project gives students the opportunity to actively participate in their own learning, boosting self-esteem by allowing them to model and demonstrate key life skills. By making these resources accessible via a dedicated website, we will create a dynamic “Life Navigator” platform where adults with special needs can visually learn from their peers. This peer-led, interactive approach not only strengthens social skills but also encourages creativity, collaboration, and digital literacy, while building a supportive community for lifelong learning and success.

1. Active Participation: It empowers students to actively participate in their own learning, making them creators rather than passive consumers. This hands-on approach helps reinforce the skills they are learning.

2. Boosts Confidence: Filming themselves allows students to build self-confidence as they see their own progress and accomplishments on screen. Performing social skills correctly boosts their self-esteem.

3. Peer Learning: Other students can learn by watching their peers model appropriate social behaviors. This peer-led learning is often more relatable and engaging than traditional instruction.

4. Personalized Learning: Each video can be tailored to specific scenarios relevant to the students' lives, making it more meaningful and applicable to their daily experiences.

5. Visual Learning: Many special needs students are visual learners, and seeing social skills modeled in a video format can help them better understand and internalize the behaviors.

6. Digital Skills Development: Beyond social skills, students also develop basic digital literacy by participating in video creation, which is a valuable skill in today’s world.

7. Motivating & Fun: The project turns learning into a creative and fun activity. Students are likely to feel more engaged and motivated to practice social skills when they know they’re starring in their own videos.

This project not only reinforces the social skills curriculum but also fosters creativity, self-awareness, and peer learning in a fun, supportive environment.