Busy days, big rewards for West Shore Connect students
Students take classes, are involved in extracurricular activities, socialize and develop life skills on campus
Text and photos by Gabryelle Breski
Knightly News Reporter
gabryelle.breski@mymail.centralpenn.edu
The West Shore Connect program is on the move!
The program is a venture in which students from the West Shore School District who have disabilities attend Central Penn. The effort’s goal is to promote independence among the students in everyday activities, and to provide the students with opportunities to network and to establish relationships.
Each term, students are also assigned different on-campus responsibilities in addition to classwork.
A mutual benefit is enjoyed, though. This photo story explains what the program does to help our campus.
The students take about 30 minutes most mornings Monday through Friday picking up trash in front of the student-residency suites on College Hill Road or around the academic buildings.
The students spend some part of a morning each week cleaning the Underground, below Milano Hall. This includes wiping down surfaces in the gym and student area, as well as sweeping the dance-studio floor.
One day a week, two students from the program also enter the tour suite to sweep, wipe down surfaces and shake out rugs.
The program helps the students by providing them opportunities to practice independent living skills such as making a bed and folding laundry.
The students are also responsible for keeping their suite clean each week by cleaning the bathrooms, sweeping floors and wiping down surfaces.
West Shore Connect students also participate in extracurricular activities regularly with the program’s Connection Twosdays. This activity allows the students to get involved in campus clubs and to attend sporting events to support the Knights.
Through working with the program, I see the appreciation of the students in the program and how much they are willing to learn and grow.
West Shore Connect is looking for mentors for any hours to assist the students in jobs, projects or activities any clubs want to plan.
If you’re interested, contact ShariBrenizer@CentralPenn.Edu or ShannonHockenberry@CentralPenn.Edu.
Breski is president of The Knightly News Media @ Central Penn College and a West Shore Connect mentor.
Comment or story idea? Contact KnightlyEditors@CentralPenn.Edu.
Edited by media-club co-adviser and blog editor Professor Michael Lear-Olimpi.
