The journey toward independence and leadership is officially underway! The South Shore Support Services Launch Program is thrilled to share that our current cohort of the Self-Advocacy Leadership Series (SALS) is currently in session at the Duxbury Free Public Library.
While registration for this specific session is now closed, we wanted to take a moment to celebrate the incredible work our students are doing and give you a sneak peek into what this program is all about.
This interactive 8-class training series is uniquely designed for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (ID/DD) ages 16 and up. The best part? It is entirely taught by lead peer mentors with disabilities who know exactly what it takes to succeed, advocate, and lead.
What Our Students Are Achieving
SALS isn’t just about sitting in a classroom—it’s about active learning, building community, and discovering the leader within. Over the course of 8 weeks, our participants are diving deep into hands-on activities, group discussions, and even virtual reality to master essential soft skills, including:
Communication & Active Listening
Teamwork & Negotiation
Self-Awareness & Problem Solving
Public Speaking
A Sneak Peek at the 8-Class Journey
- Class 1 Who I Am: Students kicked off the series by exploring their unique interests and strengths, sharing a self-portrait to show who they are as they began this journey.
- 🗣️ Class 2 Communication: A deep dive into different communication styles and unlocking the secrets to becoming an excellent active listener.
- ❤️ Class 3 Feelings & Values Learning: How understanding emotions leads to more positive communication. Participants also explored disability history and heard an inspiring personal story from our trainer’s life journey.
- 💪 Class 4 Self-Advocacy & "I Want to Try": Discovering the power of making autonomous choices and standing up for oneself, while identifying something brand new to try for the very first time.
- 🤝 Class 5 Team Building Activities & Discussion: Putting collaboration skills to the test with fun, interactive team challenges.
- 📜 Class 6 Rules & Laws: Learning about the vital laws that protect people with disabilities and promote true inclusion. Students work together to create a legal history collage and learn exactly how laws are made.
- 🎤 Class 7 Speech Writing & Presenting: Mastering the "Dos and Don’ts" of public speaking. Students draft, practice, and rehearse their ideas in a supportive, encouraging space.
- 🎓 Class 8 Presentations & Graduation: The grand finale! Students will present a final PowerPoint project reflecting their Individualized Service Plan (ISP) goals and vision for the year ahead.
Partner With Us!
The ultimate goal of SALS is to prepare students for integrated competitive employment and personal independence. On the 8th and final class, we will host a Graduation Celebration where students will present their final projects to an audience of peers, family, and faculty, and receive their well-deserved Certificates of Achievement!
We are incredibly proud of the dedication, promptness, and hard work this cohort is showing every single week. Stay tuned for updates as we get closer to graduation day.
