For my project at the Life Enrichment Center, Skylar Mortensen and I decided to

team up and completely renovate the Day Habilitation Program (Day Hab). The Day Hab

Program is designed to assist the persons served in acquiring retaining or improving self-

help, socialization, and adaptive skills required for active community participation and

independent functioning outside the individual’s home. Our vision for our project was to

employ sensory stimulation activities throughout the Day Hab Program to facilitate

impromptu activities that are desired through personal choice.

The process evolved over the semester as a direct result of input from Day Hab

program participants and staff, Life Enrichment Center Leadership, Music Therapy

students and interns and touring programs with similar services. Financial and in-kind

support from the Best Buddies Engage Grant, local business and the North Ridge Church

helped to enable us to make our vision a reality. However, we could not have done it

without the support of parents and friends who donated countless hours to work alongside

our Best Buddies Team. The room is host to several sensory stimulation walls, a music

center, a horticultural center, an art center, and a media center.

All our hard work paid off on the morning of one of the reveals when Letha

stated, “I like this, this looks good, I think this is going to work.” To have our hard work

validated by a young lady who will be utilizing this room was priceless. Even though we

had a couple weeks left before we were completely finished renovating the room, seeing

the impact that it made on the individuals gave us the motivation to finish our project

strong. However, there are a couple things that I definitely wish that we had done

differently. For instance, I wish that we had been more organized throughout the process

of our project. When it came to ordering supplies through the Engage Grant, at times it
felt like we would be informed of the deadline at the last minute and would be rushing to

find materials that were inexpensive, not taxed, and would be utilized by the individuals

in the Day Hab Program. Another thing that I wish we had done differently is been more

vocal in what we wanted to implement in the Day Hab Program.

Our project evolved over the course of the semester into something bigger than

we could have ever imagined. In the beginning, Skylar and I envisioned creating

communication boards for the twenty-four individuals in the Day Hab Program. With the

push from the leadership at the Life Enrichment Center, our project evolved into the

Program that it is now. Throughout the semester, Skylar and I created signs that included

inspirational quotes and sayings, organized the closet, got a shelf donated from Ace

Hardware, and build a petition wall, a bookshelf, and a textile wall with the help from

Mr. Joe and Ben. We helped paint the room with Mr. Mark and turned the room into that

which was dull into a vibrant room that catches your eye when you immediately walk in.

We utilized Sara the Music Therapist Coordinator at the Center to consult on our music

center. She helped us plan out the wall and utilize instruments that the individuals in the

Day Hab Program would most likely interact with through their own desire. We also

consulted with Paige, the Art Therapist at the Center on the art center to become more

informed on what types of media would be best to be in the Day Hab Program.