Students in Calais’s 12 Plus Program participated in in-house Work-Based Learning (WBL) in order to gain confidence and reinforce key skills that they could then apply at off-campus work sites.

Devin W., a 12 Plus student at The Calais School, was assigned to the School Store for in-house WBL. For the first two months of the school year, he collaborated with classmates, faculty, and administration to completely redesign the School Store, from merchandise to the store’s physical appearance.  

While working in the School Store, Devin not only learned skills specific to the position but also reinforced more general vocational skills that can be transferred to any work site. “I have… reinforced my skills when it comes to teamwork,” he says. “It was a great opportunity to collaborate with others…. For example, I had listened to suggestions that other members had about their vision of the store. From there, we were able to combine our ideas into one shared vision for how it would look.” 

In addition to collaborating during the design process for the new layout, Devin and his classmates also brainstormed and implemented new ideas for merchandise. Working within a budget, the School Store Team took surveys to determine students’ interests and then selected and purchased items that students would be motivated to work toward buying. This process enhanced students’ perspective-taking and functional math skills.

Over the few months that he spent working in the School Store, Devin also practiced leadership skills and assertive communication. Taking on a leadership role with the School Store Team helped Devin gain confidence as a leader. He has since transferred these skills to his off-campus job at No Fuss Lunch, a school lunch provider in Hawthorne: “I’ve been doing great when it comes to leadership skills when I go to No Fuss Lunch. Because of the way I was interacting with my team [in the school store], I’m able to effectively delegate tasks to other people.”

Like Devin, other 12 Plus students have also been developing skills to assist in their transition to off-campus work sites. Ms. Jennifer Ferguson, Calais’s Transition Teacher, explains that “having had the opportunity to practice these skills at school while gradually transitioning back into the workplace has had a noticeably positive impact on students’ self confidence and workplace readiness.  Rather than feeling overwhelmed and anxious about the changes, students have shown willingness and excitement, and have embraced the transition enthusiastically.”

Learn more about Calais’s 12 Plus Program!