At Chesterton High School, Applied Skill students in 12th grade and above take on an exciting and beneficial responsibility to assist staff and faculty members. As a part of the Adaptive Work Program, these students run errands for any faculty member who has them, greatly helping to lift an item off of some very hefty plates. If there is business to be handled in the town of Chesterton, the Applied Skill students are on the case, ready and willing to aid CHS’s beloved teachers and staff.
These students take on every task presented to them, whether it is grocery shopping, picking up dry cleaning, delivering letters and packages to the post office, or fetching takeout. The Adaptive Work Program has even partnered with businesses in town, like Strack’s and Walgreens, to create their very own coupon reward system. The Applied Skill students frequent Strack’s, shopping for staff members, picking up supplies for Coffee Cart Mondays (CHS teachers’ weekly holiday), and even going on their own personal shopping endeavors. Once a week, these students have a cooking class, and it is up to them to pick up the necessary supplies and navigate the adult world of the grocery store.
“They get to learn basic life skills: how to run errands, social skills, time management, [and] lots of working with money,” says Jamie Evans, head of the Adaptive Work Program, on the benefits of sending students on missions around Chesterton.
Applied Skill students not only benefit from the lessons they learn through running errands, but also receive well-deserved recognition for their efforts. Besides appreciation from the staff members who get to check a few chores off their list, participating in the Adaptive Work Program also goes towards students’ employability and vocational credits. With one stone, these students kill multiple birds of the future, learning skills that will land them successful jobs, careers, and adult lives. If nothing else, getting to leave school during the day is always a nice perk.
Applied Skill students have possibly the highest work ethics in all of CHS, finishing their errands completely, efficiently, and always with a smile. Like the rest of their CHS peers, these students juggle schoolwork, athletics, extracurriculars, and friendships, but with the added responsibility of the Adaptive Work Program. Nevertheless, they apply the same amount of effort to every aspect of their student lives.
“We try to keep working,” says Gavin Weiler on behalf of all the Applied Skill students.
Weiler thoroughly enjoys running errands as a part of the Adaptive Work Program. He likes to go shopping, visit all the different places, and be of help to CHS’s teachers and staff. He feels like he has learned a lot from his on-the-go assignments.
Each year, the Adaptive Work Program grows bigger and better, continuously discovering innovative ways to improve the learning experience for the Applied Skill students. By sending these kids on errands around Chesterton, they get to learn how to navigate these tasks hands-on while easing the busy lives of the beloved employees of CHS. It goes without saying that there could not be a more beneficial way of going about either of these endeavors.
