New Classrooms to Teach Special Needs Students Life Skills

East Brunswick students are hard at work in brand new learning labs made possible by a grant from Lowe's.

The $67,800 "Toolbox for Education" grant was awarded through the Lowe's Charitable and Education Foundation, a philanthropic arm of Lowe's home improvement stores.

The reach of the donation was unveiled to parents, Lowe's employees and district officials on Thursday during an open house celebration in the Lowe's Life Skills Learning Lab, hosted by students in the high school's special education program.

Three classrooms in total were transformed by the grant money - the lab at the high school, one at Churchill Junior High School and one at Hammarskjold Middle School.

Outfitted with a working stove, oven and refrigerator, a washer/dryer, appliances, and a bed, the labs "provide a long-term, coordinated program of increasing complexity to help students learn the functional life skills necessary to maximize their independence," according to a press release from the school district.

The labs "take them through a program of functioning skills of increasing complexity," said Ellen Murphy, Supervisor of the district's autism spectrum programs.

The students at the high school also participate in job sampling, which is aided by opportunities to practice skills they need to hold those jobs, she said.

Keeping these students learning and working in their community, rather than sending them out of district, is also of high importance, Murphy said.

The community further aided with the construction of the labs, as the district reached out to the local Lowe's store to see if they could assist with the construction, and assist they did, as local Lowe's employees assisted with design and construction of the labs.

Store manager Mike Ricciardi said the company has a focus on giving back to the community, especially when many of its employees live locally.

"It's a good cause," he said.

Jon Mitchell has a son, Tristan, 14, at Hammarskjold, who will soon be transitioning over to Churchill school.

Tristan is currently "learning a lot of household responsibilities," in the program at Hammarskjold and is showing a lot of progress, Mitchell said. 

"Socially, he is much more adapted," he said.

Mitchell attended Wednesday's open house, where students talked about what they are learning in the labs and how they are applying those skills at home.

Mitchell said he wanted to be there to share in the day and to get a glimpse of the program at the high school that his son will eventually be a part of.

"It's important to see what steps are ahead," he said.