This year, the special education students in Whitman’s Life Skills Vocational Program (LSVP) have been treated to a fully functional apartment where they can practice life skills in a measure not seen before this year. To shed light on this new addition to the school, I interviewed Ms. Cucciniello, Whitman’s life skills vocational teacher.

Q: Can you tell me the name of the program you are teaching?

A: Our new program is called the Life Skills Vocational Program.

Q: What is the purpose of this program?

A: The purpose of this program is to prepare our students for life after high school.  We teach them daily living skills, like caring for an apartment, counting money, making change with money, appropriately speaking up when they need something, and more.  We also expose them to different jobs that they may have one day or may interact with in the community.  We also work on gaining vocational job skills like writing a resume and interviewing skills.

Q: How does this program differ from the other LSVP programs offered at WWHS?

A: We are now the only LSVP program in the school.  WWHS does offer many other programs, but they may not focus as much on job skills.  In the LSVP program, we get to go out into the community to see different jobs and work on our skills in real life settings.  We also will be working in the school store and the cafeteria, along with other jobs within WWHS.

Q: Can you tell me some of the features of the new apartment?

A: The new apartment is a great addition to this program.  It has everything a real apartment would have: a bedroom with a closet, a den with couches and a TV, a kitchen with all appliances and a table to set, a washer and dryer, and much more.  With this apartment right on site in the high school, I can really teach daily living skills by having the students practice them instead of showing a video or talking about how to do certain things.  It really creates a great hands-on approach to learning.

Q: What types of training will you be able to do with the new apartment?  What skills will the students learn?

A: In the apartment we will be cooking, doing laundry, setting the table, sorting silverware, washing dishes, making the bed, vacuuming, ironing, and much more.  Our opportunities are endless with this resource at our fingertips.

Q: How will you achieve your program’s goals?

A: With the combination of classroom lessons, field trips into the community, and hands-on practice in the apartment, the students will be able to really grasp these skills and know how to use them outside of school.  Of course, the amazing team of teachers, administrators, and support staff we have makes a huge difference in making sure the program is successful.

The new apartment will hopefully prove to be a valuable asset to the school, the students, and by extension, the community.