Every November, special education students at Durango High School (DHS) put their independent living skills to work by planning, budgeting, shopping for, and cooking a full Thanksgiving feast to enjoy with their families and teachers.
The annual project is a centerpiece of the Transitions program at DHS, which prepares high school students with significant support needs for life after graduation. From selecting recipes and staying within a grocery budget to harvesting fresh vegetables and preparing the meal, students take ownership of every step of the process.
During last fall's harvest at Durango School District's SOIL Outdoor Learning Lab, DHS Special Education Moderate Needs Teacher Evelyn Feige explained how the project brings classroom lessons to life while fostering community connections.
"Transitions is part of special education where we focus on preparing students for the real world after high school," Feige said, noting that she teaches alongside DHS Special Education Significant Needs Teacher Kyra Gonzales. "We work on independent living, vocational skills, and getting involved in the community. And today we are at SOIL harvesting some vegetables to use for one of our favorite life skills projects, which is creating a big Thanksgiving feast. Our students do every part of this process—they’re the ones putting in all the muscle here."
From the garden to the grocery store
The multi-week preparation begins well before Thanksgiving Break. Students start by choosing which dishes they want to serve, researching recipes, and building grocery lists that fit within a set budget. Once the menus are finalized, the classes take a group trip to the grocery store, bring the ingredients back to school to store them properly, and spend days prepping and cooking the meal. Students even design and send out invitations to their parents.
For DHS 11th-grader Eliana Bedell, harvesting produce at the SOIL Lab is a highlight of the fall project. During last year's harvest, she gathered potatoes, carrots, and beets — and already had her favorite holiday side dish in mind.
"Mashed potatoes are my favorite, and I love stuffing, too," Bedell said, adding with a laugh, "I like to put the corn into my mashed potatoes and mix it up."
Preparing for independence
Beyond the Thanksgiving feast, the Transitions program equips students with practical skills they will use long after leaving high school. Curriculum units focus on money management, finding housing, caring for a home, grocery shopping, and meal preparation.
Vocational training is another major pillar of the program. Because living independently requires a steady income, students gain hands-on work experience both inside the high school and through internships with local community partners, such as Common Grounds Coffee Shop at the Durango Public Library. Expanded access to district bus transportation has also opened doors for students to explore job opportunities at businesses farther from the DHS campus.
Whether they are practicing workplace communication at a local coffee shop or calculating grocery costs for a holiday meal, DHS Transitions students are building the confidence and skills they need to thrive in adulthood.
〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️
🏡 Schools are at the heart of our community. Stay connected with Durango School District through our free weekly Community Update — featuring student successes, district news, upcoming events, and stories that matter to our community.