HFWYANDOTTE HOSPITAL WORK SITE BASED LEARNING CLASS

 Brighton Skills Center provides alternative vocational services to approximately 300 special education students, aged fifteen to  twenty-six, residing in a Downriver/Dearborn school district.  Over one hundred students are pursuing a high school diploma and attend Jo Brighton Skills Center half- day.  The remainder attend full-time and are eligible for school services until the age of twenty-six.   

In affiliation with HFWyandotte Hospital, our students have been actively engaged in work experience since 1989. Typically, the hospital class is the first full day work site based learning experience for students after their completion of vocational training at Jo Brighton.  Students experience work in three main areas of the hospital: Office Settings, Food Service, and Housekeeping.   Usually, students rotate assignments quarterly. They may complete tasks in the following departments:  Medical Records, Cardio-Vascular Services, Pharmacy, Pre-Admissions, Laboratory, Nursing Rotation, Kitchen, Food Storage, Lobby Attendant, Cafeteria, Physical Therapy Rehab, Central Distribution, Linens Department, and Respiratory Therapy and the Library.   

We arrive at the hospital at 8:30a.m. to begin work assignments. At 11:00 a.m. we eat in the hospital cafeteria and have several options: brown bags, Subway, or the cafeteria food.  The hospital gives each student a $5.00 food voucher daily for lunch.  We encourage the students to make healthy selections.  After lunch students participate in curriculum group discussions and current events. Classroom instruction focuses on job related social skills and community safety to enhance student success.  Beginning at 12:30 p.m., students return to their work assignments for the afternoon.   

When we depart on the return bus to Jo Brighton at 2 p.m., our students leave with a sense of accomplishment and the feeling of a job well done.  .    

We are fortunate to have a supportive hospital staff that strives to maximize student’s learning.  Students are supervised by both hospital and Brighton staff in all departments.   Speech and Language services are provided to students as indicated on their IEP.

Please feel welcomed to visit us at the hospital whenever your schedule permits.