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How are students chosen to participate?
The students are chosen through an IEP team decision and with input from the ITT team (Families, Parents and Friends, School District, Regional Center)
When did the program start? 1998. TLC started with a wonderful vision and collaboration between Parents, Teachers, and the Community.
What does a typical day look like for students (is it just one class throughout the day or do the students stay with you all day)?
Students stay with me all day and it is a 4 year post high school program. We are a part of Fort Bragg High School and Fort Bragg Unified.
We are located in a house off campus. Our students come to the location, work on some academics/lifeskills curriculum such as practicing filling out job applications, money math, reading recipes (lifeskills), Reading and journal Writing, then go to a workability job with a staff member (we have amazing job placements! An Art Gallery, At One Yoga Studio, Dog Walking for Seniors, Botanical Gardens, Vinnie’s Pizzeria, Paul Bunyon, Braggadoon Sign and Graffics, and even more exciting ones we are working on), or stay at the house and engage in hands-on life skills experience such as gardening and cooking, as well as shopping and making a daily family-style lunch. Students eat together, then kinda swap the am and pm duties and students who were at job placements stay at school and work on lifeskills and vice-versa. In the later afternoons, when we are all together, we often have an outing such as working out at the Rec Center, going to the Library, going for a walk, or staying in practicing music, art, mindfulness/meditation or having a class meeting, (having a lesson using one of our social skills or life skills curriculum).
On Fridays, we have all-day outings around Mendocino County.
What are the afterschool activities we participate in:
Most of our activities take place during the school day (we are part of the High School and are on their schedule), but have occasionally gone over school hours to go to the Booneville Fair, go camping, go to the movies at the theater, Fort Bragg Farmer’s Market. We have also gone Whale watching with All Aboard Adventures, on a River Cruise, gone to talks at the Kelley House, and the Guest House, gone to the Botanical Gardens and the Point Cabrillo Light House, and visited with the Ukiah and Willits TLC programs ..and so much more!
How many students are generally in the program? What is the teaching staff-to-student ratio?
Attendance has fluctuated through the years between 5-12 as it does with any Special Day Class. We usually have an almost 1:1 teaching ratio, sometimes less depending on the needs of the individual students.
Who are the key players? How many staff are at TLC?
I am the teacher and there are also 2 wonderful aides in the program. We also have therapists throughout the county, as well as advocates through the regional center. Students also receive weekly group counseling through a non-public agency. I am also very well supported and work closely with the Director of Special Programs, the Principal of the High School, and the Superintendent, as well as working closely with public agencies.
Does this have any connection to something called the "Workability" program?
Yes! We are a workability program and have a workability mentor, a School to Work Transitional Specialist, and the Transitional Partnership Program, are a part of the workability county meetings...all the students have jobs through workability.
Is there a connection to what Parents and Friends and OARS do?
Absolutely, we work closely with Parents and Friends and OARS. The students are able to participate in a couple of PFI’s programs such as “Places to Go” and also participate in Therapies at OARS, Art Explorers and Circle of Horses (after school or on Weekends) We all work closely in a monthly transition team and with families to determine the best placement in the community resources available after TLC.
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