Our Charity of the Month is Hope Learning Center (HLC)! For those of you who are unfamiliar with HLC, we would love to share a little bit about them and how they serve the community. 

“Hope Learning Center (HLC) serves teens and young adults, ages 16 – 22, on the autism spectrum who are transitioning to college, career and independent living. Through group meetings, social events, coaching, and classes, they encourage growth in community, skills, and connections. As a result, their young adults are better equipped to successfully transition into their next chapter of life, experiencing greater independence and fulfillment.

HLC is located on seven beautiful acres at Sunset Ridge Farm in Bucks County. This peaceful environment with farm animals lends itself to a relaxing and stress-free atmosphere for their students. Outdoors, students can enjoy s’mores around the fire pit, yard games, walking the grounds, interacting with animals, or just hanging out with friends around the pond. Their indoor space offers plenty of comfortable seating, a sensory/quiet area, a kitchenette and coffee bar, and ample room for teaching and other activities. This is an ideal place for young adults to meet, interact and build meaningful relationships.”

How did Hope Learning Center Start?

“Steve and Marie Haney have a heart for working with young people who are on the autism spectrum. After their oldest son Tyler was officially diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome at the age of seven, they found out quickly that there were not a lot of resources available to help someone like him. Academically gifted, yet lacking social skills, Tyler was “too high functioning” to qualify for most public support programs and Marie and Steve were often left to fill in the gaps themselves. Tyler’s desire to go to college, hold a full-time job and develop meaningful social connections pushed Steve and Marie to do whatever they could to support his goals. Through his hard work, the proper college setting, and their support, Tyler has accomplished his goal of earning a college degree and obtaining full-time employment. As a result of their experience, Hope Learning Center was started by the Haneys to assist other young adults on the spectrum to develop the needed skills to be successful socially, vocationally, and academically.”

What is the Criteria for Admission?

Candidates for Hope Learning Center are:

1.   16 – 22 years old.
2.   Able to develop goals and work towards reaching them.
3.   Able to actively participate/communicate in group discussions and activities.
4. Able to exhibit behavior conducive to a group learning environment without support or direct supervision.
5. Open to learning, trying new experiences and building skills to improve independence.
6. Able to receive constructive feedback from staff and peers.
7. Able to complete the student questionnaire independently

“HLC charges monthly tuition (September through May) for its program. They strive to keep tuition reasonable, and scholarship is available based on financial need. They admit students in September and January if there is space in a group. While they desire to serve all students on the spectrum, they know not every student is appropriate for their program.

You are encouraged to schedule a visit to see the facility and hear about their program. If interested in applying, the student and parent need to complete a questionnaire below. After they review the questionnaires, they will schedule an interview.”

To learn more about HLC or how to enroll, please visit www.hopelearningcenterperkasie.org.

Upcoming Events at HLC: