Manitou Springs High School strives to provide crucial enrichment activities for significant support needs students. 

Over the past 10 years, since special education teacher Jill McCracken started the tradition,  SSN students have participated in learning how to hand-make spa products. 

“A lot of these kids don’t want to go to college or won’t for various reasons, so giving them something they can do here that they could take with them is part of what we provide,” McCracken said. 

The SSN program over the years has worked to still make projects as student-led as possible, regardless of mobility limitations. Students create the company name, this year it is Club Manitou, and help to design the product labels.

“We print labels for them and they would design them so that the project was their own, and just get them involved in the process of choosing which products to make,” McCracken said. 

The students working on these projects this year have focused on sugar scrub, body butter, bath bombs and bath fizz. 

“Products are sold to staff during two yearly sales. One sale happens before winter break, the other in late April for Mother’s Day,” SSN teacher Megan Lamoreaux said.  “Any leftover products are sold by students during the Woodland Park Farmer’s Market during the summer.” All proceeds go to support the continuation of the program.

The students work in collaboration with the School to Work Alliance Program. in our significant needs program. “Our students were able to use a variety of assistive technology devices to participate to the fullest extent in measuring, pouring, and mixing ingredients,” Lamoreaux said.

The students work together to create the perfect set of spa products every year, and they all have personal preferences. Jazmyn Webb-Everly (12) said that her favorite spa product is the “bath bombs”, and her favorite part about making them is “using the switches to mix the products.”

Other than the technical side of things, some students love to just take in the smells and sensations of the spa products. SSN student Austin Durham (10) said that he enjoys “smelling the essential oils”, and his favorite spa product that they make is “body butter”. 

Paraprofessionals Izabeth Mumford and Talor Goodloe are pleased that they get to create adaptive technology to help students fully participate in the making of the products, while also learning the business side of things.  

“Work experience is something a lot of high school students have the opportunity to do independently, but for this group of students, they need additional support and something that is able to be adapted,” Lamoreaux said. 

The paraprofessionals who tend to care for these students notice how excited students get to make these products for other people, and how much this experience means to these kids. SSN student Jeremy Webb-Everly (12) knows the process of making the spa products by heart.

“First, get out the ingredients, next, mix the ingredients, then, package the product, and lastly, sell the product,” Jeremy Webb-Everly said.  

As this tradition continues and is passed on from generation to the next, SSN teachers and paraprofessionals will strive to keep creating new adaptive ways to help their students fully participate in the making of products and running of a business. 

“I love seeing how excited the students get while making everything and seeing the finished products,” Izabeth Mumford said.