The Goddard Special Education Cooperative hosted its first-ever “Skills Day” on Thursday, February 12th at Eisenhower High School (EHS). This event gave junior and senior students with diverse learning needs a dedicated opportunity to demonstrate their unique capabilities. Throughout the day, students rotated through targeted stations, focusing on the essential skills needed for a successful post-secondary plan. These provided an opportunity for students to demonstrate their abilities and chart their future paths.
The inaugural event brought together students, educators, and community partners in a collaborative effort to assess and celebrate student abilities while gathering crucial data to shape individualized support. Throughout the day, students moved from station to station, tackling real-world tasks designed to measure their readiness for life beyond high school. Each station presented a different challenge, a different skill set, and a different opportunity for students to shine.
For many participants, the day exceeded expectations. "Today was great! It was the best day ever!" exclaimed one student, capturing the spirit of accomplishment that filled the rooms.
Behind the smiles and successful task completions lay a deeper purpose. A Special Education Teacher that assisted with the day’s activities explained the event's dual mission, "This serves as a day for us to gauge independence and skills to better serve their needs and to better equip them for life after this. Additionally, we're hoping that data gathered through today's activities will better help us drive the goals of their individual education programs, or IEPs."
Skills Day also incorporated various partnerships with local organizations, including Center Industries. Jennifer Dugan, Director of Logistics & Procurement at Center Industries, volunteered her time and discovered the profound impact of simple human connection. Reflecting on one particularly meaningful interaction, Dugan shared, "I enjoy giving back to my community and what better way than to give my time to people who need it and appreciate it...my last student today was not feeling it and didn't want to do anything. So, I redirected and asked for them to help me (may have been a little bribe with gummy bears in there) and within a few minutes they opened up, smiled, and we were making our sheet into a parachute. By the time we were done with our station as a whole, they were proud and chatty. I even got a mic drop from them at the end." Dugan continued, "This is where it's at. It recharges my battery and gives me faith in humanity. Something so simple and pure – also so rewarding."
The inaugural Skills Day at Eisenhower High School represented more than a single event. It marked the beginning of a new approach to supporting students in their post-secondary success. Through collaboration between the Goddard Special Education Cooperative and community partners, students found opportunities to demonstrate their capabilities, educators gained insights to refine their teaching approaches, and volunteers discovered the transformative power of presence and partnership.
This unique event, paired with the dedication and support from Goddard Special Education faculty and staff, helps strengthen bonds between school and community that will continue to support these young people as they prepare for their next chapter.