Camphill Special School : Volunteers and Coworkers

A Typical Coworker's Day
The Transition Program at Beaver Farm

Daily, predictable scheduling is the backbone of life in The Transition Program at Beaver Farm. Every house attempts to adhere to the regularity of the following typical weekday agenda, although on weekends and special festival days, the calendar may change.

Morning

7:00 a.m. Wake students and help them get ready for the day

7:45 a.m. Breakfast and clean up

8:45 a.m. Morning meeting

9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Work with students in morning vocational crews

Afternoon

12:30 p.m. Lunch and clean up with your life sharing household

1:30 – 2:30 p.m. Coworkers take turns interacting with students during rest hour

3:00 – 5:00 p.m. Work with students in afternoon vocational crews

5:00 – 6:00 p.m. Leisure time with students; taking turns with supper preparation

6:00 p.m. Supper and clean up with your life sharing household

Evening

7:00 – 8:30 p.m. Evening activities such as swimming, singing, sports, and leisure

8:30 – 9:30 p.m. Assist students in bedtime preparation

Our residential volunteer coworkers work with young adults ages eighteen to twenty-one with a wide range of developmental disabilities. Some of our students are quite independent in their self-help skills, and others require a tremendous amount of assistance. Typically, a coworker is assigned to a dormitory of two to three students that they then are responsible for getting up and helping to bed.

For obvious reasons, a coworker must be on watch in the house every evening. Individual coworkers do this between one and three times per week. On weekday evenings, usually beginning at 8:45 p.m., there are many working meetings that houseparents need to attend. On these evenings, coworkers cover the house. If there are special events in the evening, such as a lecture, play, or other artistic performance, these are usually planned for during a weekly house meeting. In addition, awareness of the students extends throughout the night, just as any parent is responsible for their children. Consequently, coworkers must coordinate with their houseparents if they wish to be out in the evening and anticipate coming home late, or plan to be absent from the house for the night.

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