My Life Learning Center
The batting cages at The Dugout Zone were challenging but a lot of fun. We practiced swinging and then started batting. We took turns feeding balls Into the pitching machine. This activity strengthened our hand-eye coordination and reaction time, both with hitting the ball and trying not to get hit by stray balls (most of us did anyway).
Our art is now being displayed and sold at The Flower Basket. Clients selected artwork with floral and nature elements after browsing the shop, identifying the purpose of a florist, and speaking with the owner to create the display.
Check out our display at The Flower Shop, 9141 Baltimore National Pike, Ellicott City, MD 21042.
We filled two ginormous bags with blueberries after picking for an hour. Even after everyone took some home, we still had so many – so we baked blueberry chocolate cookies during our Friday cooking class!
We attended an aerial yoga class at DTM Fitness, where we did stretching exercises using silk hammocks. Aerial yoga increases balance and bodily awareness. We are keeping our minds and bodies healthy with yoga combined with our biweekly Spirit Club classes.
Arcade games require fast response time and motor skills, following written directions, and focus on a single task. We had a lot of fun practicing these skills during single-player and team games at Main Event arcade.
MLLC now has year-long passes for the National Aquarium. We visit the aquarium every other month and it is always an unforgettable time. We speak with aquarium staff about how they take care of so many aquatic animals and explore the exhibits as a group.
The aquarium has so many opportunities to try new things, like feeling the texture of this horseshoe crab. We have touched stingrays and jellyfish also!
At Mission Escape Rooms, we had an hour to search for clues and escape dinosaur island! Our reading comprehension, inferencing, and math problem-solving skills were tested as we raced the clock. There were lock boxes to open, door codes, maps to follow, and tons of riddles that we worked as a team to solve. We lost, but we still worked hard and had fun!
A trip to Brookside Gardens got us excited to learn about plants and wildlife. We identified some of the many plants in the gardens, explored the conservatory, and picnicked outside.
We attend workout classes every other Thursday at Spirit Club Columbia. Our instructor at Spirit Club is fantastic, engaging, and makes strengthening our bodies fun.
We complete challenges, stretch, and play movement games. Workout class has become a favorite at MLLC and is a great team-building activity.
The Maryland Secretary of Disabilities, Carol Beatty, and the Director of Employment policy, Jade Gingerich, visited My Life Learning Center. During her visit the Secretary and Ms. Gingerich met with the students of the center during an art training session. The Executive Director of the center, Dr. Somnath Sengupta, explained the training methodologies and vision for the center toward self-employment and STEM employment. The visitors met with some members of the MLLC’s Board of Directors, parents, a reporter, and a US Navy collaborator of Dr. Sengupta for STEM employment.