Our November Informational Tour took us to see BiG Great Lakes in Gurnee. BiG Great Lakes is an “out of the box” vocational day program for adults with special needs where they make and sell high-end artisan products within a culture of community, connection, and honor. Their social entrepreneurial model empowers their Citizens to create beautiful marketable items that are then sold with the Citizens sharing in the profits. Citizen-created products on sale during our visit included fudge, granola, greeting cards, soaps, jewelry, ornaments, pottery, and more. Products are also sold at local farmers markets, holiday craft fairs, online, and at their annual BiG Art Gala each spring.
BiG Great Lakes is a 501(c)(3) organization that opened in November, 2021. BiG is open to individuals 20 years of age and older and operates on a 4:1 staffing ratio; the site also features two licensed practitioners in the Rapid Prompting Method (RPM), a tool for education that leads to open-ended communication. There are currently 25 Citizens in the program with room for a few more. In addition to their vocational endeavors, Citizens also have access to a large gymnasium and a quiet sensory room, and they also enjoy regular outings into the community. Long-term goals for BiG Great Lakes include a larger location with an on-site gift shop and café, plus an expansion into CILA housing for their Citizens.
Many thanks to Founder Annette Cvengros for facilitating our tour along with our tour guide, Charlie. For more information about BiG Great Lakes, you can visit their website at www.biggreatlakes.org
CTC Educational Outreach events are designed to provide families, educators, and service providers with useful information related to the transition process as well as life in the community after educational entitlements end.
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