Come January, there will be 12 new students making use of a new learning space at Conestoga College.
The school is the first in Waterloo Region – and one of only a handful in Ontario – to offer a program aimed at students with developmental disabilities.
“Like … all of our college students, these young men and women have dreams. They have passions,” says Goranka Vukelich, the chair of Conestoga’s department of child development and education studies.
The program teaches its students the basics of independent living, including cooking meals and organizing budgets, as well as lets them take classes in another area of interest.
For 21-year-old Akarsh More, that other area is early childhood education.
More has been out of high school for two years, and says he’s eager to move ahead and gain independence.
“My parents want me, and I also want myself, to work,” he says.
While spending time in the new learning environment of his program, More will also attend ECE classes, and be expected to keep up with the coursework.
“They will be engaging and participating with all class activities,” says Vukelich.
“Applied, active, hands-on learning is a really big part of who we are.”
After two years, More will achieve a certificate and graduate from the program.
While he expects it to be a lot of hard work, More says he’s looking forward to starting the program in January.
“It’s going to be a different challenge for me, but it’s a new experience,” he says.
