The Learning Centre has moved to a new location, optimizing client services and allowing a special program to spread its WINGS.
The relocation of the Learning Centre allowed program manger Victoria Reiman the opportunity to help design a space unique to the needs of her clients.
“This move was the opportunity to build something just for them,” she explained from the new location on McDonald Street. “There was so much thought put into this building.”
The Learning Centre is a special education program designed for adults to support Ranch Ehrlo participants with developmental disabilities and sensory needs to lead a full life.
“When we designed the old Learning Centre facility on Hodsman Road, we didn’t really know who our clientele were— we didn’t have a real understanding of their needs, or the complexity of them. After being in that building for six years, we knew what they really needed here,” she said.
The new Learning Centre has the ability to accommodate growth with its additional space and user-friendly design. The building is divided into a north and south wing which offer staff the option for division and clients the opportunity to participate in activity or quiet time. The open space also promotes safety while reducing anxieties and triggers for clients.
The facility features unobstructed sight lines, five washrooms, a kitchen, sensory room, laundry room, quiet room, dining room, and a teaching/activity room. There is also a large space at the rear of the building which provides clients with a place to bowl, ride bicycles, pace, or complete job tasks such as shredding or sorting.
“The young adults are really enjoying this new space,” said Victoria. “They have all transitioned very well, I actually think the move was harder on my staff,” she joked.
The former Learning Centre facility on Hodsman Road has been taken over by the Working towards Independence and Nourishing Growing Skills (WINGS) program, which continues to grow into its own.
WINGS formed in 2013, accommodating space in the upper level of the Learning Centre and at a secondary location. The WINGS program took over the entire facility at 288 Hodsman Rd., in November 2013, in preparation for future growth and expansion.
“When we were looking for a facility for the WINGS program, the location on Hodsman Road was well-suited because it had the big kitchen and multiple rooms for activity,” Victoria explained. “The space is just perfect for WINGS…and once the staffing model is adjusted, more girls will be added to the program.”
