What is LEG Up!?
LEG Up! stands for Learning, Experience, and Goals and is a learning and skill-building program dedicated to empowering individuals by enhancing their skills in various life areas. LEG Up! provides education and training specifically tailored for adults with developmental disabilities and it is open to the entire community. We offer a layered teaching approach that can adapt easily to different learning styles.
LEG Up! offers a wide range of educational and skill-building opportunities, including specialized activities and classes for job seekers looking to prepare for certifications like WHMIS, Smart Serve, and First Aid. The program covers diverse areas such as independent living, cooking and baking, preparation for employment and volunteerism, community activities, and tutoring, among other services.
Who can participate in LEG Up!
LEG Up! is designed for people with developmental disabilities and open to adults 18+.
How do people sign up?
You can purchase LEG Up! courses/classes online through the KW Habilitation shop at shop.kwhab.ca. Through the “orders” section in your account you can see what you have purchased, your class schedule and access your invoice (which you will need if you are submitting it to Passport Funding for reimbursement).
What are our most popular classes/courses?
- Cooking and baking classes:
- Here we build skills in the kitchen by learning about different foods and trying new recipes.
- Coffee clubs:
- This is a combination of both games and learning sessions that build engagement and social skills including topics like: world wildlife day, national day themes, and cute but weird animals.
- Academic Courses:
- Money Skills/Handling
- Creative Writing
- Independent Living
- Self-Advocacy Skills
- Book Club
- “How May I Help you?” (Early Employment Skills)
- Movie Classes:
- Here, we discuss themes and messages in movies and encourage and invite everyone to express and share their opinions.
- Special Interest Social Studies Classes:
- Here we develop critical thinking skills and explore how the subject matters we discuss relates to society.
- Relationship 101 and 102:
- In these courses, we learn about consent, healthy relationships, sexual health, and safety. This class is ideal for students who are open to learning and discussing sensitive topics.
- Art Classes:
- Sketching
- Water Colour
- Clay Building
- Painting
- Art Appreciation
- Holiday Crafts
- Summer Green Thumbs
- Safety Courses:
- Safety Awareness for Everyone (SAFE)
- Abuse Awareness
What is the difference between classes and courses?
A class is 2 hours in length and is held only once in a session. On the other hand, a course is a series of 2 hour classes that are held throughout the length of a session (for example, a 10-week course will have 10 separate 2 hour classes.) Note: courses offered to community groups can vary in length, depending on the needs of the learners.
What does a class look like?
A typical 2-hour class begins with a warm welcome and lesson introduction and then we dive into our lesson content. After that, we take a break for a beverage or social time, and then we apply the activity to connect to what we learned. Lessons are built to accommodate each learners’ unique learning style and individual needs (for example: large print, visual- videos, writing supports) and people are encouraged to work within their comfort zone. There is also encouragement to physically move within the class.
Special Activities are facilitated by the team or a guest instructor. We have several vendors that facilitate these activities as well as team members from KW Habilitation. These are stand-alone activities and are offered more often in the evening or on the weekend (for example: Crafts with JJ Woven, or Build a Herb Planter with Our Farm).
How often do new sessions happen?
We hold classes year round! There are 5 sessions per calendar year. Winter and Spring sessions are 10 weeks in length. Summer and Fall sessions are 8 weeks in length. The Holiday session is 6 weeks in length.
What has been the impact for people taking classes?
At LEG Up!, our team has noticed people experience an increased confidence in social settings, are sharing more opinions, thoughts, and feedback, and are more confident making individual choices. We have also seen an increased skill level in the kitchen-setting.
Here’s what people said about the impact of LEG Up!:
“It gets me out of the house, meeting new people and having new experiences.” –Jessica C
“Helps me to learn new things…There are lots of things to do at LEG Up!” –Kathleen K
“I am happy to come love the coffee break” –Christina K
“Builds my skill in reading art and writing. I can choose my own classes” –Georgina D
“A place that’s different than other places…the activities-fun,” –Madeline H
“ Learn about things going on in the world and get out and involved.” –Sean H
LEG Up! helps people to develop critical thinking and organizational skills and is a place to connect and learn in a person-directed environment. Participant feedback fuels the content for each session. This feedback is used to create, continue and/or discontinue content (for example: recipes and ideas are collected from people to create the next baking theme).
