Curriculum

Our goal is to guide the "whole person" forward by fostering growth toward independence through a comprehensive curriculum that emphasizes vocational training with a focus on independent living, psychological/emotional growth, effective use of leisure time, and creativity.

In Class and in the Field

Threshold’s curriculum is designed specifically to meet our students’ needs. Whenever possible, every effort is made to individualize offerings to address each student’s strengths and challenges. Classes generally range in size from four to twelve students, with an instructor-to-student ratio better than 1:4. The curriculum promotes vocational training, independent living skills, social/psychological development, and creative growth.

Students spend more than 30 hours per week in course work and at field placements, receiving supervised on-the-job training; approximately half of that time is spent at field sites.

Required Courses By Year:

First-Year Students

• Introduction to Business and Support Services Class & Lab
• Introduction to Early Childhood Studies
• Introduction to Work World
• Vocational Advising
• Computer Applications
• Internet & Computer Safety
• Adult Sexuality
• Medical World
• Effective Communication Strategies
• Understanding Learning Strengths & Challenges
• Personal Finance Class & Lab
• Personal Growth
• Pathways to Health
• Fitness
• Current Events
• Elective

Second-Year Students

• Business and Support Services or Early Childhood Studies 
• Vocational Advising
• Work World Seminar
• Apartment Living Class 
• Food Lab
• Consumer Education Class & Lab
• Personal Growth
• Fitness
• Elective

Programs & Courses

Independent Living Skills

Training in independent living skills is offered through practical courses that address a variety of topics relevant to self-reliant adulthood, including Medical World, Adult Sexuality, Apartment Living, Personal Finance, Consumer Education, and Current Events.

Independent Living Skills Courses

Medical World

Medical World is designed to help students feel comfortable and act responsibly within the health care world.

One semester, 1 hour per week

Adult Sexuality

This course instructs all first-year students on the anatomy of sexual development and how sex organs function for both males and females. Students also discuss issues relating to sexuality and decision-making regarding sexual activity.

Two semesters, 2 hours per week.

Apartment Living

Apartment Living is a two-semester course covering a variety of topics and which include local field trips.  Through classroom activities, this class teaches second year students how to live independently in an apartment. Emphasis is placed on issues of living safely in an urban setting.  Students learn about the challenges of living with roommates and being responsible and sharing common space, paying bills, cooking and grocery shopping.  Students learn how to utilize the resources available to them in their community.  Students complete a report each semester on the ways different cultures live and eat.  Understanding the components of a lease and learning how to choose an appropriate and safe apartment as well as other important independent living issues are covered in Apartment Living class.

Two semesters, 1.5 hours per week

Food Lab

Food Lab is designed to provide second year students with hands on experience in the kitchen. The curriculum includes all aspects of preparing a meal including grocery shopping, making healthy and safe choices in meal preparation and selection, cooking and clean up.

Two semesters, 2 hours a week

Personal Finance

Banking, money management, and consumer skills are introduced in this course. Students open checking accounts at a local bank and learn the many facets of managing checking and savings accounts, as well as assessing their current money management habits and learning the principles of sound budgeting. Whenever possible, the course involves hands-on activities. 

Two semesters, 2 hours per week

Personal Finance Lab

This lab helps students put into practice concepts and skills learned in the Personal Finance course.

Two semesters, 1 hour per week.

Consumer Education

In the Consumer Education course, second-year students continue the process begun in Personal Finance (first year) of learning how to access information and practice skills required for successful independent living.

Two semesters, 1 hour per week.

Consumer Education Lab

In this lab, small groups of students meet for a double period once each week to practice skills learned in the Consumer Education course.

Two semesters, 2 hours per week

Current Events

 Students in the Current Events course review local, national, and world news each week. They discuss timely issues, debate thought-provoking questions, and gather additional information on a variety of topics.

Four semesters, 1 hour per week.

Social/Psychological Development

All young adults need encouragement when embarking on new endeavors. Threshold students, whose special needs frequently make the steps toward adulthood especially formidable, often benefit from added support. Students focus on social and psychological growth in the Effective Communication Skills course and a weekly Personal Growth Session. In addition, Understanding Learning Strengths & Challenges helps first-year students deepen their understanding of themselves, their learning styles, and their social functioning.

Social/Psychological Development Courses

Personal Growth

Personal growth is a weekly small-group led by a licensed psychologist.  Students have an opportunity to set personal goals and to work on meeting them.  This course helps students understand the responsibilities of young adulthood.

4 semesters, 1 hour per week.

Effective Communication Strategies

The Effective Communication Startegies course helps students focus on increasing their social effectiveness with others. Emphasis is placed on developing social perception and general assertiveness.

Two semesters, 1 hour per week.

Understanding Learning Strengths & Challenges

Students in Understanding Learning Strengths & Challenges learn the definitions, characteristics, types, and known causes of learning challenges. They identify their own learning styles and areas of difficulty, and how these contribute to specific problems in their day-to-day lives. An Individualized Learning Profile is developed, summarizing strengths and weaknesses and suggesting strategies for capitalizing on strengths and compensating for weaknesses.

Two semesters, 1 hour per week, plus 1 individual conference hour per semester.

Pathways to Health

Students in Pathways to Health learn about the nature of stress, its symptoms, causes, and strategies for managing it. They discuss the elements of their lives over which they have
control. Techniques introduced include awareness and breathing exercises, progressive relaxation, mindfulness, constructive thinking, and time management. Students develop an Individualized Stress Management Profile to help them to incorporate what they have learned into their daily lives.

One semester, 1 hour per week

Vocational Education and Training: Majors, Field Placement, and Course Work

Vocational training is offered in Business and Support Services and Early Childhood Studies. First-year students explore both career options, spending one eight week term completing course and field placement work in each of the majors. Second-year students focus on their major through course work and field placement.

Vocational Majors

Business and Support Services prepares students for entry-level positions in general office/retail, food service and hospitality. Early Childhood Studies prepares students to be aides/assistants in day care centers and nursery schools.

Field placement experience offers students a practical opportunity to use the skills and theoretical material acquired in their vocational classes. Business and Support Services sites are available both on campus and in local businesses and industries; Early Childhood field sites are within area day care centers and nursery schools. In addition to an on-site supervisor, each student is assigned a Threshold vocational advisor who meets with him or her on campus, visits the field placement for observations, and consults with the on-site supervisor regarding student progress.

Business and Support Services

The goal of this two-semester course is to help students learn general business skills. Additional focus includes the hospitality, food service and retail industries. These courses provide both classroom-based curriculum as well as hands-on experiences.

For Business and Support Services Majors 2 semesters of Business and Support Services course work are required (each course, 3-4 hours per week) plus 2 semesters of field work (each field placement, 14-20 hours per week, which includes student advisement and supervision).

Computer Applications

This course is designed to introduce first year students to basic computer skills and to strengthen and refine existing skills.  Students use MS Word on PCs or Macs in order to become familiar with a variety of documents. Students may also explore additional computer applications such as File Maker Pro, Excel and Power Point.

One semester, 1 hour per week.

Internet Safety & Basic Computer Maintenance

A course for first year students designed to increase their awareness of Internet safety.  Understanding how the use of the Internet in a safe way is a valuable tool, that can affect their lives.  The dangers involved in the anonymity of the Internet are discussed.  The social and ethical issues associated with the proper use of technology will be covered.   Students learn how to integrate technology and the use of the Internet safely into their class work and personal life.  Students will also learn about virus protection programs and the basic maintenance of personal computers and printers.

Two semesters, 1 hour per week.

Introduction to Work World

Word Processing

Provides an overview of basic word-processing skills and e-mail training, using both PC’s and Macintoshes.

Presented during fall orientation, 10 hours.

Early Childhood

In Early Childhood coursework students are introduced to the early childhood environment, child development, and appropriate classroom management techniques.

For Early Childhood Majors 3 semesters of Early Childhood course work are required (each course, 3-4 hours per week) plus 3 semesters of field work (each field placement, 14-20 hours per week, which includes student advisement and supervision).

Work World Seminar

In this course, second-year students focus on the social and practical skills related to gaining and maintaining employment in either major. Focus is placed on developing effective resumes and cover letters as well as developing appropriate job interview skills and behaviors.

Two semesters, 1 hour per week

Electives

Along with the vocational and academic offerings of the program, this group of electives has been designed to support students' creative interests. Each elective meets for at least one hour per week. Students choose one elective per semester.

Elective Courses

Creative Arts

Students in Creative Arts may choose to work in one or more art areas, including ceramics, drawing, photography, and painting. Every student is encouraged to discover her or his own artistic interest and style of working. Each year there is an art show at a local gallery.

Creative Writing

Students who choose Creative Writing work toward increasing self-expression through writing and reading their work with an emphasis on creativity. Each semester the writing class produces New Beginnings, a creative writing magazine with selections from the work of all class members.

Theatre Project

In Theatre Project classes, students explore creative expression through writing, acting, and directing, with self-expression and creativity emphasized. The Theatre Project produces one performance for the Threshold community each semester.

Physical Education

Physical Fitness

Threshold values the importance of individuals keeping physically fit and active in their adult lives. The physical education courses are designed to present opportunities for our students to stay in shape in ways that are both appropriate and enjoyable for young adults.

Individual Fitness

This course exposes students to the University's Fitness Room. Students receive instruction in using various fitness apparatus. Included in their instruction is a workout sheet, which they fill out to show how their own fitness can and does improve.