"Shared Life Model" in a Residential Youth Village in Jerusalem: The Education Community of High School Students, Autistic Spectrum Students and Residential Care Staff – Live, Study and Work Together

The youth village includes: high school, boarding school, special education school for mid - low functioning students with Autism (Benjamin Rothman Magshimim – "BRM").

For 16 years and as part of the farm’s educational outlook, all students and staff members live, work and study together on a daily basis, with the purpose of creating equal value for everyone by developing opportunities for adapted, positive social encounters.

Principles:

• Long gradual process and ongoing projects, continuous evaluation.
• Reciprocity, partnership, transparency and support.
• Joint management of the process.

Operation

Model aspects:

1. Shared life with no fences in one joint space.
2. Ongoing everyday life – joint facilities, dining room
3. Ongoing yearly projects – social, academic.
4. Recurring events and projects – joint trips, ceremonies

Implementation

Shared Life projects aren’t carried out in a voluntary framework, but rather implemented all day, every day:

Joint employment – Gardening, kitchen, laundry duties.

Bilateral academic integration – BRM students study with their peers; High school student groups study with their peers in gardening and drama workshops at BRM.

Social – Joint daily/camping trips, holiday`s ceremonies/activities, music ensemble shows.

Organizational project – community development of an innovative joint activities space.

Outcomes and Conclusions

• High school graduates perceive their Shared Life experiences as the most meaningful.
• BRM parents feel that this is the only opportunity their children live in a "real life" community with normative peers, preparing for adult life in society.
• High school staff report the projects help in their work on academic, educational and behavioral levels and provide them with a unique and invigorating challenge.
• BRM staff report higher student capabilities to successfully cope with a normative environment. Activities strengthen sense of belonging as an integral part of the community.

Conclusions

Our Shared Life model should be improved and gradually widened, while developing a structured testing and evaluation system.