The annual Life Skills Prom, drawing students from nine area schools this year, provided a chance for life skills students to engage with peers and exercise practical skills.
Hannah Cress, a life skills teacher at Franklin Regional Senior High School, said the event is a cheerful and safe occasion that supports classroom instruction about community interaction.
“It’s good because it’s really hard to generate skills out of school when you don’t get out of school,” Cress said.
This year’s luau-themed prom was hosted by Burrell High School on Thursday at Hillcrest Country Club.
Roughly 175 guests, including life skills and general education students and teachers, attended, said Sara Schwartz, speech language pathologist at Burrell High School.
Students from Burrell, New Kensington-Arnold, Riverview, Kiski Area, Deer Lakes, Franklin Regional, Freeport Area and Plum school districts, along with students from Sunrise School in Monroeville, participated.
Burrell took the planning reins from the New Kensington Arnold School District, which hosted the event the past few years, Schwartz said.
“After I attended last year, I knew we had to keep it going,” Schwartz said. “It’s really special to see these kids share opportunities.”
This year, Schwartz said they added some additional programming, including arts and crafts and a 360-degree photo booth to promote more student socialization.
Tables at the country club were lined with snacks and crafts, including a color-in-the-lines banner and bottled sand layering supplies.
To kick off the prom, a magician performed, picking student volunteers to help him.
Aaliyah Barker, a life skills student from Burrell, said this was her third life skills prom and she was excited about having crafts because she likes to draw.
She said this year’s event seemed well attended.
“I enjoy meeting new friends,” Barker said.
Schwartz said there was no prom dress code in order to encourage student comfort and expression. Many students still sported dresses, button-ups and various accessories, including sparkly hair tinsel.
Franklin Regional life skills student Mackenzie Lescinsky wore a blue floral dress and gold glitter eye shadow.
She said she was most excited to dance and hoped the DJ would play “Wannabe” by the Spice Girls.
“(I’m excited) to dance with my boyfriend,” Lescinsky said.
She said she was also hoping to get a balloon cat from the balloon animal station later in the day.
The event was funded by a mix of community sponsors and fundraising at the schools.
At Burrell, general education students raise money from a coffee cart on Fridays and had a “Flamingo Flock” fundraiser where, for $5, they would fill a classroom with flamingo figurines, said Life Skills Teacher Chelsey Kriley.
As part of the school’s Bucco Buddies organization, general education student Chloe Martin helps with activities in the life skills class every day after school.
She said the “Flamingo Flock” fundraiser was a lot of fun.
“A lot of teachers said it brought a lot of color to their classroom,” she said.
She said she’s grateful for the friends and opportunities she has had since joining the organization at the beginning of the school year.
Kriley said the prom is an opportunity for life skills students to meet other life skills students and general education peers.
“It’s good for them to be around people who are like them,” Kriley said.