The B.R.I.D.G.E.S.  Community Based Instruction (CBI) for this week focused on building a healthy lifestyle by learning about the many programs the Y.M.C.A. in Weston offered. Students were given a tour of the facility and had the opportunity to ask questions.

Students learned how the Y.M.C.A. gives back to the community by providing free memberships to those who can’t afford it. The tour guide also shared with the students the many different community drives they host throughout the year to help families in the Weston area.

Next, they headed out to the pool and were surprised to learn about the many different swim programs they had to offer for all ages. The pool looked so refreshing, several of the students joked about jumping in for a swim!

The tour also included visiting the spinning and weight rooms, as well as where all the dance, karate and exercise classes take place. Saumit asked how many people come each day to the YMCA. All the students were surprised when they heard about 1000 members use the facilities daily.  Vincent wanted to know how old you had to be to use the machines. They all were happy to hear that if you are 16 and older, you can come on your own to workout.

As the students headed out, they were each given a free 3 -day pass to try out the programs at the YMCA. Many of them were looking forward to coming back for a day or exercising!

We are proud of the good work the B.R.I.D.G.E.S. are making this year, as they continue to work on Independence, Development and Social Skills.

Decisions, decisions, decisions!

The B.R.I.D.G.E.S. students put on their creative hats during the Community Based Instruction (CBI) field trip this week at Board & Brush Creative Studio in Weston.

Before heading out on the CBI, students had to make decisions based on 200 different stencils for the design that they wanted to create.  After lots of discussions, they decided on 3 different stencils to choose from: graffiti, solar system, and various gaming controls.

Once they arrived, they put on their aprons and got right to work! The first thing they learned about was “distressing” the wood with the hammer. They all began pounding away at their wood. Next, they had to sand the sides of the wood to be sure it was smooth. Once those two steps were done, it was time to decide what color paint they wanted to use for the background and then paint the wood.

Students took a break from working to have lunch and socialize. While the paint was drying, students enjoyed conversation about different voice actors and movies. Sebastian was the comedian for the day, as he told his friends many jokes and made everyone laugh.

The next step was then to put the stencil over the wood and choose colors to paint the different designs. Diego chose to use orange and blue since those are his favorite colors. Kelvin decided that blue and purple would look the best on his design. After the students painted over the stencil design, they had to pull the stencil off the wood which was an extremely tricky task!

The students were so happy to see what their finished product looked like at the end of the day! They weren’t quite sure they could do it, but they were happy to see the end result! We are so proud of our B.R.I.D.G.E.S. students as they practiced using Resources, Independence, Development, Growth, Empowerment and Social Skills!

Last week, the B.R.I.D.G.E.S. students Community Based Instruction (CBI) field trip was a favorite of all, a trip to Chick- Fil- A. After having to wait patiently, as their bus arrived a ½ hour late to the school, students finally made it to one of their favorite fast-food restaurants!

Students each had to place their order and then used their debit cards to pay for their meals. Next, they waited at their tables for the meals to be delivered.  The class had the entire restaurant to themselves! That was a real treat! As always, the students had a great time socializing with each other.

Once back at school, students used their receipts to determine subtotals, added tax and total amounts paid for lunch.  The B.R.I.D.G.E.S. students practiced their Budgeting, Independence, Development, Growth, Empowerment and Social Skills.

Stay tuned for the next CBI, where the students will put on their creative hats at Board & Brush Creative Studio!

Have you heard about the Cybrarium located in downtown Homestead, Florida? Well, today our B.R.I.D.G.E.S students had a real treat spending the morning at the Cybrarium, a one-of-a-kind library that offers an exciting blend of cutting-edge technology and a traditional library setting with lots of books and magazines for their Community Based Instruction (CBI).

Students enjoyed listening to a few stories written by African American authors in honor of Black History Month. Then they had a chance to take a tour of the library and learn about what was offered for the public to use: stem activities, videos, book, games and so much more.  But without a doubt, their favorite activity was doing the Virtual Reality Experience. Several of them participated in the “Walk in the Woods” virtual experience and the more experienced students were able to choose games like Spiderman and Star Wars. Jordan even had fun getting Spiderman to dance!

After spending time at the Cybrarium, students walked over to a local Mexican Restaurant to enjoy lunch together. In class prior to the CBI, students reviewed the menu and discussed their budget and tip. They each brought their Visa Gift Card and were able to spend $25 on the meal, drink and tip. Some of the students ordered tacos and burritos, while others ordered chicken nuggets and fries. Job made sure he was staying within the budget before he placed his order since he wanted to get a side of fries too!

The students had a great time today, enjoying a new experience at the Cybrarium and a delicious lunch together. At the end of the meal, each student went to the cashier, paid for their meal, and had to figure out  tip. They all enjoyed their time together and did a great job with their budgeting, independence, and social skills!