Life Skills Center’s mission is oriented around a whole-person approach. The pursuit of each student is the basis for rigorous efforts in areas like school preparation over the summer, or tailored approaches to students’ needs. Ms. Lee says Life Skills Center welcomes all different types of students, “We make sure that not only do we have all the resources that we need, we make sure that we are human to them. They see us as someone they can have a relationship with.”
This focus on prioritizing each students’ needs was the beacon of motivation that has helped Life Skills navigate the COVID-impacted school years. “Through individualized and self-paced program work, teachers give students actionable goals,” Ms. Lee shared.
Because of that motivation, Life Skills Center created moments they are proud of, like the parking lot graduation for 2021 seniors. “Families came, students had their cap and gowns, we had the speaker play Pomp and Circumstance. People were coming down the street, honking their horns in solidarity,” Ms. Lee described. This outpouring of warmth from the school made a profound impact on students and their parents, displaying how grief and joy can run on parallel tracks and how both are worth honoring.
Right now, Life Skills Center is doing their best to bring as much normality as possible to the classroom. Parental involvement has increased, and the school is getting good feedback from community outreach they have continued to do throughout the year. Their work is far from over, but as Ms. Lee says, “We can still flourish in the situation we're in.”
Great job, Life Skills Center!