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Students in this PA high school program set their own goals — it may be the secret to their success.

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WNET

About 20 years ago, the students in one Pennsylvania high school's special education program decided they weren't learning enough in the classroom.

Sure, there are some transition skills that can be taught within a school building: how to count change, how to cook (on a single burner), how to sweep linoleum floors.


Instructor Jenny and a student work on money skills. Image via PSPB Creative Group.

But actually learning to be semi-independent in the real world? That's gonna take some practice.

They came up with an idea: an apartment outside of school where they could take turns living and practicing life skills with a transition coach.

That program (called LifeLink) was so successful that it's now a regular part of the curriculum for the Wild Dream Team, the special education program based at State College Area High School in Pennsylvania.

Wild Dream Team students learn how to navigate the bus system. Image courtesy of Jenny Yost-Lee.

"The students came to the conclusion that the classroom methods we were using to teach transition skills weren't sufficient," explains instructor Jenny Yost-Lee. "And they wanted to create a plan that enabled them to learn the skills in the real world."

At the LifeLink apartment, Wild Dream Team students have the opportunity to practice their skills in an environment that's a bit riskier than the classroom — no parents allowed.

It's a huge step forward for students with learning and developmental disabilities who want to push themselves. And it's a perfect complement to the transition curriculum they're learning in school.

The Wild Dream Team helps students with disabilities set goals to reach whatever level of independence is right for them.

All the while, Jenny Yost-Lee and the rest of the staff provide a supportive environment to help students reach those goals.

"My mission is to make [each student] a good neighbor," explains Jenny.

The students' goals, of course, vary widely: join Spanish club, spend a week in the LifeLink apartment, commit to a volunteer position in the community.

Jenny doesn't much care what the students can't do because of their disabilities. "I know what they can't do," she says. "That doesn't matter. I want to know what they can do."

A Wild Dream Team student in a job training program. Image courtesy of Jenny Yost-Lee.

But Jenny doesn't set goals for the students. Instead, they're the ones deciding what they want to do next.

"It's incredibly empowering when the students choose their own goals," Jenny explains. "When they say, 'I'm ready. I want to do this.'"

"This is about showing people what we can do."

Once a student has set a goal, though, that's when Jenny and the team step in. When a student commits to trying something new, "[they] do it unabashedly. There's no turning back."

Although Jenny may have a pivotal role in the success of the Wild Dream Team, she insists, "This is not about me. This is about the students and the team. It's about showing people what we can do."

Want to see for yourself what the students and the program can do? Take a look.

Bri James and her messy (not dirty) home.

It’s hard to keep your home clean when you have a child, but when you have four, unless you have a live-in maid, it’s completely impossible. There is no dishwasher fast enough to keep up with the dishes in the sink and no magical point where all four children have it together enough to put their toys away.

The problem is that if you take your eyes off the prize and let a day go by without cleaning up, you’re practically drowning in chaos.

TikTok user and stay-at-home mom Bri James (aka @themessymama4) did the unthinkable and let her home go four days without tidying up and shared the incredible mess with everyone on TikTok.


"I know I'm going to get roasted," she says in the clip, "but ... this is what happens when two really lazy adults have four kids and don't clean up after themselves."

The clip shows cutlery on the floor, empty packets everywhere, dishes piled a mile-high in the sink, and clothes and toys strewn everywhere. The house looks like the parents went away on a permanent vacation and left their kids to fend for themselves.

The video was praised by a lot of parents who are tired of seeing mommy influencers with spotless homes and children in matching linen outfits. Finally, there was a mom on TikTok they could relate to.

"I'd MUCH rather see you clean your realistic house than watch another blonde clean an already clean countertop," Meghan Sanders wrote.

TikTokker Its_not_that_serious put things in perfect perspective. "Dude, at the end of the day all of their fingers and toes are attached and feeling safe and loved you’re doing fine. Someday the house will be clean," they wrote.

"Having children is mentally and physically exhausting and you don’t always have the energy to clean every day," Rose added.

But not everyone appreciated Bri's slice of reality. Some people thought that her messiness was borderline neglectful and that she was setting a terrible example for her children.

"Set a good example for your kids. Make them help," carleebocciaa wrote.

"Without children = fine, your choice. With children (especially small ones) = completely unacceptable," ACZOgirly wrote.

Shortly after posting her first video, Bri got to work on the impossible task of cleaning up the entire house. Noticeably absent from the job were her spouse and four children. She appears to clean the entire place by herself.

She showed her cleaning prowess through a series of fast-motion videos.

@themessymama4

my butt does not look flattering in these Walmart lounge pants 🤦🏼‍♀️😅

Finally, at 9:30 p.m., Bri was done with most of the job, although she still had a bit of vacuuming to do and there were still some dishes in the sink. At the end of the job, she was exhausted. But she got the job done and that’s all that matters. It’s OK to let your house fall into disarray from time to time but eventually, you have to take care of business.

@themessymama4

I'm going to bed now. 🤣🥱😴

We’ll give TikTokker Sannon Martin the final word on this story because she hits the nail on the head. “Your home is exactly like mine,” she wrote. “Some days it’s a wreck and some days it looks amazing. That’s life. You’re doing great!”


This article originally appeared on 03.05.22

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