MIDLAND EXPLORES
The Midland School
MIDLAND EXPLORES
An activity and community exploration program to offer choice, enrichment, and personal development to adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
580 Old York Road
Branchburg, NJ 08876
Midland’s goal is to provide services and supports across the lifespan that help the people we serve reach their highest level of achievement and become contributing members of their communities. To meet this goal, the Midland Explores program was created as a subset of our Midland Adult Services (MAS) program to provide meaningful community integration, personal development, and social and leisure activities to adults with a range of intellectual and developmental disabilities. This comprehensive program offers an activity-based program centered on meaningful choice for adults, 21 years or older, who are better served by courses and experiences to further develop skills to help them live successfully.
The Patricia Murphy Work Center and Midland’s Employment Program have provided life-changing job training and employment opportunities for our students and adults for more than 40 years. Now, adults with disabilities have the option to enroll in Midland Explores in lieu of our Employment Program, or in conjunction with it.
All experiences and activities are designed to promote self-direction, offer variety and choice, and be appropriate for adult participants.
Daily Life Skills: Topics can include nutrition and wellness, cooking and safety, money and budgeting, personal hygiene, and current events. During these activities participants have the chance to learn these skills with hands on activities in a classroom setting.
Problem Solving Skills: Various scenarios of real-life situations are discussed during these activities. Participants are able to then answer “what would you do “questions which lead to open discussion about such topics as community awareness and safety, self-advocacy, and appropriate social interactions with others.
Social Skills: Social interaction is an integral part of all Explores programming and is focused on during every activity. Community Specialists leading the activities not only promote social interaction between staff and participants, but also facilitate appropriate social interaction between all participants.
Leisure Skills: A wonderful aspect of Explores is the ability for participants to follow their passions. Leisure activities can include arts n’ crafts, movement class, book club, karaoke, music, movies, and games. Explores leisure activities are created around the participant’s and staff’s interests which allows for a cumulative positive experience. Volunteers are also welcome to come in and share their unique talents with our participants.
Self-Advocacy: The importance and opportunity for choice are experienced throughout all activities. Activities can include active decision making, full participation in the development of your service plan, development of self-awareness, recognizing self-regulation in themselves and other, and enhancing self-confidence.
Community Inclusion: All levels of interaction with our individuals and our local community are explored. Participants have the ability to deliver meals to senior citizens through the Meals on Wheels program which is offered five days a week. Other activities can include shopping at clothing and food stores, buying supplies for the program, exercising at local parks, and visiting the local library. Community inclusion provides the opportunity for all participants to practice the skills they have learned in real-life situations.
Located at the Old York School building in Branchburg, just a few miles from Midland’s main campus, the Midland Explores program will operate 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., five (5) days per week.
For more information on the program and how to enroll, contact Penelope Ream, Program Manager at 908-800-9080 ext. 140 or ream@midlandschool.org