On September 21st, the students of Cypress Bay’s Social Skills class, sponsored by HDS Foundation’s BRIDGES grant, had their first community based instruction. The students went to Office Depot with a mission. They were instructed to work in groups to purchase items from a list given to them, so that their total would not exceed $15 including tax. Their goal was to purchase as many of the items on the list without going over their limit. Students bought things such as three-ringed binders, paper clips, scissors, clip boards, and gift cards. This lesson taught the students many things. Firstly, they had to work collaboratively to decide which items to purchase and find them in the store. They had to problem solve, finding the best items to purchase so that they could buy as many as possible and still stay under $15. Importantly, they had to understand how to include tax, so that their final total would not exceed $!5, even after the tax was added to their order. The students enlisted the help of store employees, helping them with maneuvering the store and improving their social skills, especially when speaking to new people. This instruction proved to be a great way to get the students into their community and learning practical skills that are otherwise not taught in schools. It was a great day for everyone involved, and the students had a great time.
