Growing in the Community
Students develop motor skills and learn useful lessons while out in the community, engaging in:
at places like local churches and food banks
Healthy Physical Exercise
through playing games and sports at local parks
at places in the community, like the Irvine Spectrum
such as bowling and miniature golf
These activities not only get students acclimated to society; they serve as vocational training, too. While volunteering and having fun, students can become proficient in job-related abilities.
volunteership, recreational outings, and job training
SIMPLE READING AND WRITING
exercises in our Reading Room
BASIC COMPUTER SKILLS
ARTS AND CRAFTS
of socialization/recreation, like dancing
Creating Positive Life Cycles Through Employment
Independent living starts with developing basic, but important life skills. Once our students start honing these skills, they start becoming employable. This is an incredibly exciting milestone for our students because they’re able to use the abilities they’ve developed to gain employment, creating a powerful cycle of personal growth, self-worth and agency.
Although we cannot guarantee employment, we work hard with our network of businesses and vendors in the community to help our students acquire jobs, supported employment and/or volunteer work.
Individual Support Plans (ISPs)
Students have their own Individual Support Plans that include their personal goals. Dreams of America reviews these goals every year, or as needed. Families are encouraged to participate in goal creation, and a survey is administered to both the students and their families on an annual basis. The survey is used to review current and future goals, and to address any concerns.
Transportation to and from the Dreams of America facility is provided free of charge by ACCESS, an Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) service.