TAP grants to help TLC teach job, life skills

Yahoo

30-04-2025

Apr. 29—Teachers at the Transition Learning Center received a number of grants from the Education Foundation that will help students acquire a variety of life skills.
The foundation's Teacher Assistance Program grants go up to $1,000.
Karla Montalvo, technology teacher at TLC, received a grant for $1,000 — which she used $940 of.
Her grant was for an Educational Classroom Systems card. It's a simulated debit/credit card system for educational purposes, its website said.
Montalvo said it will teach students to budget and they can check their account balances and pay for things as though it was a regular card.
"I also got kiosk stands for iPads, so that way our students can check in and out while they're here. They can also use it as sort of like an ATM to check their balance. It's really cool," she added.
Jessica Erwin, who teaches life skills and homesteading/gardening got a $994 grant for chickens and everything that goes along with caring for and raising them.
"Part of the reason is because eggs are so expensive, but they can also go to our kitchen that goes along with ... gardening," Erwin said.
They were about to harvest their first vegetables from the garden. Having grown up on a farm, Erwin said this instills routine into the students' day.
They have to do a predator check in the morning to make sure nothing has breached the fence. Then they have to gather the eggs.
"It's a schedule every single day just like they would have at a job," Erwin said. "These are living things so they have to check the chickens every day."
They will start with New Hampshire reds because they are a docile chicken, Erwin said.
Including summer, TLC ends July 17 and Erwin lives nearby so she can check on things.
"I think it will help them in that way that it gives them a routine every single day," Erwin said.
Everyone will have a duty to take care of the chickens. The eggs will go to the kitchen and the kitchen will use them to cook for everyone, Erwin said.
Michelle Whetstone, who teaches culinary skills, got a grant for students to earn the food handler certification and some equipment for the kitchen so students can learn those skills.
The $994 grant will pay for up to 50 students to be certified. If all 50 don't use it this year, they can use it again next year, Whetstone said.
"Some of our students already have that certification so it's giving them a boost before they go out to the workforce. Here we're going to have the stickers that they have to label things with in the refrigerator," Whetstone said.
They will do the certification and practice it in the kitchen.
Whetstone also got some cake decorating and material to practice with.
"They've made some beautiful cakes," and it will give them a head start on jobs, Whetstone said.
Joe Mansanales, a woodshop teacher, got a grant for just under $1,000 for a wood planer.
"We do all kinds of stuff, and the wood planer will help us to use scrap wood and make all kinds of fun things," Mansanales said.
They are always looking for scrap wood.
"With a lot of our students, they're just not exposed to power tools. They're not exposed to loud noises, to vibrations, to things that, in some circumstances, seem scary. I want them to get over that fear and learn the safety and learn how to work with those things, but also just get over the fear of loud things," Mansanales said.
"With a lot of our autistic students, for instance, the noises shut them down. If we can work past that, we can open up a lot of different experiences for them, whether it's power tools or in a kitchen. Just getting them used to those noises, those vibrations. With some of my students, they're actually controlling the tool. With others, we're working hand over hand. It just depends on their level of comfort. But with all of them, it's exposure to something novel, to something that's potentially scary to them," he added.
Charleen Rodriguez teaches life skills/social skills and was awarded a $998 grant for an entrepreneurship class.
"The idea came from us trying to find them jobs, and some don't find jobs or don't stay as long as we would like them to stay. I was just trying to find an idea or a way so that they could feel that they are meaningful and that they can support their family in some way and be part of the community," Rodriguez said.
Students have come up with ideas such as their own cap design, bracelets and earrings.
"We have been brainstorming different ideas that they would like to start creating. ... All the materials that we asked for in the grant are based on their likings," Rodriguez said.
The grant will help students hone their fine and motor skills, feel proud that they are able to support themselves and be independent but also support their families while gaining skills to launch their their own ideas, she added.
They would all recommend that other educators apply for the grants.
"It's a great way to get things the kids need," Erwin said.