The dishwasher ran in a spotless kitchen, filling the room with the smell of soap and hot water. Tarah Follmer laid place mats down on the table, walking by a wall covered in a poster of a giant food pyramid covered in pictures of various foods.

This kitchen, one of the many rooms at the district’s new ACCESS house (Adult Cooperative Community Education Services and Support), is a classroom where Follmer and six others are students.

According to Belinda De Schrijver, director of the ACCESS house, the program is for students with special needs 18 to 21 years old who aren’t quite ready to go on to the next stage of their lives.

“It’s a transitional program between high school and adulthood,” De Schrijver said.

The Transition Coalition of Kansas ensures that every special education student ages 18 to 21 who needs post-high school education gets it. The district ACCESS program is one of many programs in Kansas that offers this opportunity for students.

“The goal of the program is for [the student] to live as independently as possible based on their abilities,” De Shrijver said.

This year the ACCESS program has been relocated to the district’s former technology building in downtown De Soto, creating new opportunities for the students. This year, the program has one teacher and three paraprofessionals, along with De Schrijver. In the past, the ACCESS program was based at Mill Valley, which often created problems for the students and teachers.

“It was very limited,” ACCESS teacher Sherry Meyer said. “But this [new location] is really ideal because it takes them out of that environment. It was hard for [the kids] to understand why they were still at the high school after they graduated. That’s why this building is such a blessing for us.”

The new building includes a sitting room, exercise room, conference room, kitchen, television room, bedroom and work room. The various rooms are used to work with students on what it will be like to live independently. One of student TyAaron Wilson’s favorite rooms is the living room.

“We can read magazines, watch movies and play the Wii,” Wilson said. “My favorite game is Mario Kart.”

Throughout the year, the program focuses on key skill areas such as daily living, employability, nutrition, fitness and social skills. The students each have jobs they travel to and from throughout the week.

“I work at Curves,” student Kelly Evans said. “I clean machines, run the vacuum and I dust and then I clean the sinks. I work at the library next door too.”

Along with their jobs, the students make, package and sell dog treats to members of the community. They also take CLEAR (College Learning Experiences, Activities and Resources) classes at Johnson County Community College.

“It’s important that they get to take classes with their peers, people their own age,” De Schrijver said.

Throughout the student’s experience at the ACCESS house, the staff often sees the biggest change in their independence level.

“It’s a real different frame of mind,” De Shrijver said. “It’s really just them becoming independent responsible adults.”

De Schrijver sees this progress as one of the rewards of her job.

“It’s the little bitty things that you see change in a student,” De Schrijver said.

Anyone interested in buying dog treats can purchase through [email protected].