The Bridge Project: Transitional Youth
Students with disabilities have a new way of learning work skills.
The Southern Maryland Center for Independent Living and St. Mary’s County Public Schools have a Transitional Youth Program for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities, which teaches life skills to help with a smooth transition from school into adulthood. And the Greenwell Foundation opened the Knott Lodge under this program during the past school year and SMCIL found it to be a huge success.
The lodge is an excellent venue to simulate a hotel setting. Students learn new culinary arts skills, how to be a hostess/host, how to cook and be a server, and how to perform light housekeeping. They put these skills to work by serving their fellow classmates, teachers, and SMCIL staff. The program is expanding for the new school year to include budgeting and banking.
In addition to SMCIL, St. Mary’s Public Schools also collaborates with the ARC of SOMD to offer the Transitional Youth Program. The Greenwell Foundation is excited to be able to offer the use of the Knott Lodge to all involved.
