Home Skills
Beyond 21’s Home Skills program area is highly social with a focus on hands-on learning experiences that empower adults with developmental disabilities to live more independent, confident lives.
Each day, our facilitators use creative methods of teaching home skills in a safe and inclusive environment. Participants will feel empowered as they apply skills they’ve learned such as shopping, basic math and reading — all of which can be applied in a functional way that will benefit them.
Examples of Activities:
- Household maintenance
- Meal planning and preparation
- Grocery shopping
- Cooking
- Laundry
Life Skills
Beyond 21 welcomes adults with developmental disabilities from diverse backgrounds, socioeconomic statuses and life circumstances. Our Life Skills program area offers participants the tools they need to prepare and cope with the real-life scenarios they may face outside of our building on any given day. Participants enjoy learning new ways of thinking, while improving their problem-solving skills.
This program area is among our most popular with participants; as they learn how to adapt to new situations, work in a collegial and collaborative environment, think critically, and have an understanding of the current events in the world.
Examples of Activities:
- Practicing personal hygiene
- Money management
- Public transit navigation
- Computer skills (and internet safety)
- Job preparation and assistance (pre-pandemic)
Creative Arts
Beyond 21’s Creative Arts program area uses a variety of art-making experiences to help improve the self-esteem, communication, creative and social skills for adults with developmental disabilities. Daily sessions are structured to support independent participation and genuine expression.
We are proud to offer sessions every day of the week in myriad formats, which can range from sharing their world perspective through photography to dance and movement classes. These activities are offered in small group formats to promote the exploration, creation, discovery, and expression of their feelings and ideas.
Examples of Activities:
- Visual arts (painting, sculpting, beading)
- Dramatic arts
- Dance
- Drum circle
- Photography
Recreation and Leisure
Beyond 21’s Recreation and Leisure program area was designed to adapt throughout the year based on the season, current events of the world, and more. Using a variety of hands-on learning experiences, adults with developmental disabilities have the opportunity to identify common interests through physical activity, games and play, while building critical peer relationships.
Many of our participants have found their ‘best friends’ at Beyond 21 — and our Recreation and Leisure program area has played a huge role in this development! This program area helps improve our participant’s gross motor and coordination skills and apply them to a wide range of play, games and sports.
Examples of Activities:
- Sports
- Yoga/ personal fitness
- Cooperative games
- Outdoor activities
- Gardening
Community Engagement
Beyond 21’s Community Engagement program is centred on community and peer-to-peer engagement. Through community involvement, participants can benefit from improved self-confidence, self-esteem and personal relationships.
This program area uses social skills, creative expression, community-based experiences to assist our participants to connect to peers, engage with their community, and foster a sense of belonging within the SD&G community.
Examples of Activities:
- Adopt-A-Street Program (Cornwall)
- Field trips (pre-pandemic)
- Volunteering
Hear My Voice
Beyond 21’s Hear My Voice program is a mini-series of events aimed at educating our participants on hate crimes that may be directed towards them.
Studies show that adults with developmental disabilities are far more likely to be subject to financial abuse, neglect, physical, sexual or emotional abuse because they do not always know how to recognize when they are victims in these scenarios and/or they do not know how to vocalize what has happened to them.
In collaboration with the Cornwall Police Department, participants learn what constitutes a hate crime and equip themselves with the tools and confidence they need to combat them.
Examples of Activities:
- Learning through visual arts
- Learning through dramatic arts
