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At COOK Education Center, we believe that school should be fun, learning experiences should be as rewarding as possible, and students should be given a large menu of enrichment activities to engage them. Such activities can help bring our students to school, help them acquire their goals, and provide them with valuable, generalizable skills for their futures.
Acquiring new knowledge and generalizing skills taught in school
COOK Education Center’s educational method for students with disabilities involves a combination of simulated “real-world” experiences that are arranged in school where they can be practiced and corrected if unacceptable followed by the opportunity to practice the skills out of school and under “real world” circumstances. Our field trips are designed to practice newly acquired skills in community settings.
Trips to learn
Some of our students have goals related to their use of public transportation, so community trips on the bus and trolley are a necessity. Others have goals relating to money management and shopping, so trips to local grocery and department stores are frequent occurrences.
Field trips to the San Diego County Fair, to the San Diego Zoo, and other area locations are taken because of the diversity of learning opportunities and experiences available.
Vocational education opportunities
Vocational education at COOK Education Center provides our students instruction in valuable employability skills both on and off campus. Off-campus opportunities are, from time to time, provided at a variety of community settings, including ARC of San Diego, Mama’s Kitchen, UCP Thrift store, Pet-tential, Smart and Final, and others.
Physical education and conditioning
COOK Education Center’s gyms and playground allow for a wide variety of physical activities, permitting our students to learn new games, to improve their coordination and conditioning, to participate as a team member, and to have a lot of fun. Sports, physical education, and conditioning are also about teamwork, sportsmanship, positive social interaction.
Inter-mural sports
Students can join teams that compete in the CAPSES inter-mural league (California Association of Private Special Education Schools) against teams from other public and nonpublic schools in the San Diego area. The sports teams participate in 11-man flag football; 5-man, full-court basketball; and slow pitch softball. Games are played at local sports fields and gymnasiums according to formal rules.
Karate and yoga
Karate is one of our most popular electives for both males and females. COOK Education Center has its own Karate dojo (gym) under the direction of Sensei Frank McCarroll. COOK also offers yoga as an elective class.