Budgeting | Resources | Independent Functioning | Development | Growth | Empowerment | Social Skills
The HDS B.R.I.D.G.E.S. Program supports the development of school-based social and community life skills activities designed to meet the needs of ASD High School Students. Structured in the form of a grant, the Foundation encourages High School ESE Departments to create school-based programs that provide opportunities year-round for Social, Independence, Community and Personal Development to teens who have Developmental Disabilities within this population. The recipients of the B.R.I.D.G.E.S. Grant can accomplish this by incorporating various community based-field trips to local businesses who are poised to provide potential future employment, life skills development initiatives such as establishing bank accounts, shopping opportunities, learning about transportation options, and social skills opportunities during the school year that allow for the inclusion of these students to typical high school activities such as Homecoming, Football Games, Prom, and many others. These are conduits to building better communication tools, peer mentoring, fostering friendships, and preparation for life after high school, including post-secondary.
HDS BRIDGES GRANT
The HDS Foundation provides Grant Opportunities to candidate Programs that meet the criteria of the B.R.I.D.G.E.S. Program goals. One or more Grants may be issued per year. For more information on the HDS B.R.I.D.G.E.S Grant, click below.
Cake in a Mug
Last week the B.R.I.D.G.E.S. class learned how to make a cake in a mug for their Community Based Instruction (CBI), YUM! Before going to Walmart, they had to work in teams to determine the quantity of each ingredient they needed to buy for the entire class and to stay...
Mother’s Day Gifts
The B.R.I.D.G.E.S. students combined an educational Community Based Instruction (CBI) with honoring their mothers for Mother’s Day. In preparation for making a gift for Mother’s Day, facilitators Mrs. Karla Lama and Mrs. Courtney Henry, discussed the importance of...
Lunch at the Park
The B.R.I.D.G.E.S. students enjoyed a beautiful day at the park having a delicious lunch from Chik-Fil-A for their Community Based Instruction (CBI) fieldtrip. The day before heading to the park, students reviewed the Chik-Fil-A menu and decided what they wanted to...
If You Don’t Ask for Boar’s Head, We Can’t Be Friends
This week, students in the B.R.I.D.G.E.S. class made their way to Publix to order a delicious pub sub for lunch! To prepare for this Community Based Instruction (CBI), students took time to look over the menu online, and decided on the many different choices of...
BurgerFi Community Based Instruction
“Redefining the Way the World Eats Burgers” proved to be true for the B.R.I.D.G.E.S. students when they headed to BurgerFi for the Community Based Instruction (CBI) activity. When the students arrived, they were greeted by a server who made them all feel welcome as he...
Career Day
As students in the B.R.I.D.G.E.S. program begin to prepare for graduation, facilitators Ms. Donna Mansolillo and Ms. Kathy Gorman-Gard wanted to invite guest speakers in various careers to come and share their career journey with their students. When the teachers...
Spring Gardening
This week the students in the B.R.I.D.G.E.S. class visited Home Depot for a little Spring Gardening. Prior to the trip, students learned about the variety of plants you can buy and which plants are compatible with each other. For example, some plants need full sun,...
Job Fair
This week, five of our B.R.I.D.G.E.S. students had the opportunity to attend the Plantation High School Job Fair. Mrs. Karla Lama, the facilitator of the B.R.I.D.G.E.S. class, worked with the students on discussing the necessary components of a resume and proper...
Building a Healthy Lifestyle
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....
Board and Brush Creative Studio
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...