An alternative school in Tinley Park recently graduated its first group of certified nursing assistants through a program created especially for the school’s population and supported by funding from state cannabis taxes.
Students accepted into the CNA program at iCan Dream Center receive free tuition, materials, uniforms, transportation, and a stipend to complete clinical hours. Upon graduation they’re certified and ready to enter the workforce.
“This is our goal — to get our students finished with school and prepared for a vocation with real skills they can mobilize into competitive employment. This is at the crux of my heart for starting the center,” said Evisha Ford, founder of iCan Dream Center.
Ford started the alternative school about nine years ago to serve students with minor disabilities or adjustment issues that made it difficult for them to be successful in classic school environments.
This includes students with intellectual disabilities, mild autism, learning difficulties, emotional regulation issues and social anxiety — young people who lack tools to manage traditional education, while not qualifying for more extensive help usually reserved for those with more profound symptoms.
The iCan Dream Center relies on small class sizes and a personalized approach, where instructors learn about their students as they teach, Ford said.
If a student’s medication makes them especially sleepy in the morning, their teacher might shift tests to the afternoon. For students who have an outburst of anger during class, conversation comes before discipline.
Rather than a public school that has one or two specialists for everyone, Ford said all teachers at iCan Dream Center are knowledgeable in helping students with learning difficulties.
“Instead of being specialized, they’re just part of our environment,” Ford said. “We don’t need to build in a time to see where you’re at and what your mood zone is for the day. That’s something we check in with every morning and throughout the day.”
Choosing a second chance
Now a state-accredited institution, Ford started the iCan Dream Center as an after-school program for young people with learning delays. The school spent seven years in Hazel Crest before moving to Tinley Park. Its service area includes South Cook County and portions of Will County, and it now offers programs for children as young as 3.
The iCan Dream Center also incorporates an accelerated high school completion program for teens and a transition program for young adults “who aren’t quite ready to adult,” designed to ease them into the workforce or help them adapt to higher education.
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Ford said students are often referred to the center by educators when the young person’s high school situation is breaking down. Students must voluntarily enroll, she said; no one is forced to be there.
“The student has to express the interest to want to be here, and a lot of times they really want to. It’s a second chance for them,” Ford said.
“These are students who are really vulnerable, especially to be taken advantage of by life. They just need a little support to be successful, but unfortunately society won’t see them that way. With a little work, these students can make some real progress.”
The CNA program is the school’s newest offering, created and supported by a subgrant from Metropolitan Family Services, which received funds from the state’s Restore, Reinvest, and Renew program.
Created as part of the legislation that legalized marijuana for recreational use, the program directs 25% of cannabis tax revenue to programs that benefit youth development, among other social initiatives.
Instead of a typical six- to eight-week CNA program, the course at iCan Dream Center is paced over 12 weeks. Students receive extra guidance in working through their clinical hours, along with additional aids such as audio textbooks.
“We’ve added all these supports for students who just need that little bit more,” Ford said. “They can access these services to enhance their success.”
With her new CNA certification, Calumet City resident Taryn Turner, 19, is hoping to follow in her grandmother’s footsteps. She came to the iCan Dream Center four years ago from Thornwood High School and finished high school through a credit recovery program.
“Once I learned about the CNA program … I knew I wanted to complete it to make my family proud, to be able to help others and myself,” Turner said.
As she continues to develop professional skills in the transition program at iCan Dream Center, the Calumet City resident said she hopes to become a nurse someday and work in a hospital setting.
“All of my teachers have been extremely nice to me, and have been like parents also,” Turner said. “Everyone has been supportive to me while achieving my goals for the future.”
Carole Sharwarko is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.