The various special education services Lake Forest High School offers impact more than 500 students, from IEPs to 504 plans to specialized English language services and much more. In particular, there are a number of students who benefit from the independent living skills programming provided.

As these individuals eventually look to enter the workforce, attend college, enroll in the high school’s Transition Program or leave home for the first time, providing the opportunity to hone money management, occupational, cooking and hygiene skills are incredibly important.

The Lake Forest High School Foundation was proud to award the Special Education department with a grant of almost $4,500 to cover the costs of installing a 75-inch Promethean Board in one of the classrooms, as well as a cash register, air fryer and new pots and pans in the kitchen where students can learn and hone important life skills.

The Promethean Board has already become a popular tool for both students and teachers. The interactive smart board allows students to learn in a multi-modal environment, fostering student participation and overall accessibility for all learners. The assistive technology is built into the device, the company provides training and the software supports multiple languages. 

The board itself resembles a big screen TV with various touch-screen abilities to draw, zoom in or out, scan, write, swipe and so much more. Students can read content on the large screen and then approach the board to respond to questions about the content, allowing them to circle a multiple choice answer, write the answer themselves or engage in conversation with fellow classmates and teachers.

In addition to the popular Promethean Board, the department received various new kitchen appliances and learning tools to assist with other important life skills development. Connected to the room with the Promethean Board is a room with a washer/dryer, stove, dishwasher, cash register, a new air fryer and other common kitchen and everyday items the students can use. Several have tried out new recipes with the upgraded pots, pans and more! They are even working on creating a cookbook.

"I like the new SmartBoards because you can do lots of things with them and we use it for Math and Speech," said Maria Alzamora, one of the students utilizing the new equipment. "I like the new cookware because it is perfect to cook with. I can't wait to use the air fryer - I use one at home with my brother all the time!"

In an effort to help our community learn more about the impact the LFHS Foundation grants have on the educational experiences offered at our high school, we started the Did you know? campaign. Be on the lookout for these bits of information via our social media outlets and in the Friday FanScout (keep scrolling when you get that email). All of our recent posts are also available on our homepage http://www.lfhsfoundation.org/.

We hope you'll join us at Knollwood Club on Friday, May 3rd for this year's Annual Spring Luncheon. We are currently seeking Auction Donations and SPONSORS for this event. Please contact Nicole Phelan to learn more about Sponsorship or Kristin Carruthers to join the event committee or donate to the auction. Funds raised will go toward future grants at LFHS.