Students learn valuable skills

A vocational area with a grocery store for Life Skills students at Prairie Central High School.

Students with disabilities are practicing the necessary skills to one day gain employment through a program at Prairie Central High School.

A group of student-run businesses out of the ACES III Life Skills program, known as Hawk Operations, is made up of a variety of ages.

Visitors to a recent ACES vocational lab open house at PCHS had the chance to see a new area which includes a grocery store.

“We used a grant to pay for a lot of the supplies,” explained Kim Hasty, one of the ACES III teachers.  

This was also made possible with a donation from Emancipation Brewing Co. and help from Dave’s Supermarket. Students can work on stocking shelves, filling online orders and using a scale.

“We also have an area of the room that has to do with our vocational skills,” adds fellow ACES III teacher Amanda Williams. “We kind of looked at skills they could use at jobs in the area.”

It is a way for students to practice skills to eventually get a local job.

Both teachers have a strong interest in organizing and designing the concepts of the program – which often involves nights and weekends, always thinking about what they can do next.

ACES is the Life Skills program at Prairie Central High School, though ACES is offered at the elementary and junior high levels. Students enter when they are freshmen and age out at 22.

“Here, we are focused on academics but a lot it is actually more of the life and vocational skills that our students would use after they leave here when they are 22,” explains Williams.

According to Williams, they cater to whatever the disabilities are to help students reach whatever goal they want to achieve.

“We run a coffee business for our staff every morning,” said Hasty.

A “happy cart” is provided for high school staff two times a month and a lemonade business is offered to PCHS students on Wednesdays. They also have a Hawk operation making pens, keychains and paper available for sale.

“All of the money just gets rolled in to help benefit the students,” stated Hasty.

The program’s therapy dog, Ace, is now two years old and comes to school every day to be with the students. He is a big part of the program, comforting kids if needed. Ace even teaches the students skills of taking care of an animal.

“The kids love having him around,” observed Williams.

Last week's ACES III vocational lab open house shown at Prairie Central High School in Fairbury.