Southeastern University's 'Life Skills House' prepares special needs students for the future

'Life Skills House' to open at Southeastern University

Carla Bayron reports.

LAKELAND, Fla. - Special needs students at Southeastern University will soon have a new space on campus to help prepare them for the future. It's an important initiative for the often underserved community.

The Pathways School of Excellence at Southeastern University serves 64 middle and high school students with special needs of varying abilities. Starting this week, they'll be able to use the newly renovated "Life Skills House", a less confining space where they'll be able to practice a wide-variety of skills.

Each room will be structured for teaching specific skills. In the kitchen, for example, students will learn how to cook, grocery plan and about food safety.

Being in the kitchen is the part some students are most looking forward to.

"I like learning new things, so I can't wait to cook," said 9th grader, Charles Roberts.

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"Hopefully I can teach others how to cook and stuff," said 9th grader, Asher Northrop.

The students will also be able to learn job skills.

"Our goal for them is to be employed one day," said Dr. Patricia Shaw, the school's principal. "Hopefully living independently one day and some of our students are even going to be Southeastern students one day. It just depends on where they are in their level of learning. We're excited to just push them as far as they can go so they can contribute to society."

The university received more than $400,000 in state appropriations to renovate the house.

"It has been this beautiful joint effort of community, parents, faculty members, students that has been a part of the creation of the Life Skills house," said Tammy Butler, a liaison for Pathways.

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The house will also be used for speech therapy and tutoring.

A grand opening ceremony and celebration will be held on Thursday, Aug. 29 on the university’s main campus. The event is open to the public and will begin at 5:30 p.m. in Bush Chapel.

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