For students approaching senior year and beyond, thinking about what comes next can be scary. Living independently is a big concern and it can be a little overwhelming to navigate. In order to encourage and empower our students to live fulfilling independent lives, Calais integrated a Community-Based Instruction (CBI) component into our 12 Plus Program.

CBI helps students to deconstruct the huge pie that is life and slicing it into more manageable pieces. We explore what it means to be an active, productive member of our community by doing some community service. We use financial literacy strategies when we go shopping to be sure we’re educated consumers. Recreational outings such as mini-golf, hiking, museum visits and bowling keep us physically active. Through various partnerships we tackle skills like grocery shopping and preparing meals for ourselves, managing household duties like cleaning, dishes and laundry, using public transportation, time management, budgeting, paying bills and so much more.

Comprehensive Life Skills at DAWN Center for Independent Living

The Calais School collaborates with the DAWN Center for Independent Living to offer a program designed to strengthen the critical skills necessary to lead a productive, rewarding, independent life. DAWN provides empowering support services for people with disabilities designed to provide them the tools necessary to make their own decisions and set their own goals.

A total of 22 sessions are concentrated on a variety of skills; daily living, in the community, for employment and self-expression. The program gives students access to guest speakers and guided, interactive group sessions.