Brehm Preparatory School has worked diligently to design, develop, and implement the college and vocational preparation program to empower students to recognize and optimize their full potential.  The school has a career explorations class that is designed to provide an opportunity for students to explore various career options.    The college strategies class is designed to introduce the student to a practical organized approach to college planning. The consumer education class enables the student to recognize the role he/she plays as a consumer in our economy.  This process includes:

• Providing college/career/consumer information and resources to meet students’ individual/choices and needs.
• Students will participate in a self awareness process to determine compatibility of career options.
• Students have the opportunity to role-play interviews, create resumes, complete job applications, and shadow a chosen career.
• Students’ will be exposed to the application process, college vocabulary, recommended college guides, college internet resources, and the law.
• Assistance with filling out college/job/consumer applications.
• Develop economic decision-making competencies of personal business affairs such as: consumer law, banking services, credit loans, installment buying, budgeting, and housing.
• Students will be able to understand the interrelationship of government, business, and the consumer.

Course Descriptions:

College Strategies:
The college strategies class is designed to introduce learning disabled students to a practical organized approach to college planning.  The student will be exposed to the following information: The application process, college vocabulary, recommended college guides and directories, college internet resources, questions to ask about students with LD, college interviews, writing college essays, academic resumes, financial aid, and the law.

Career Explorations:
The career exploration class is designed to provide an opportunity for students to explore various career options.  Students will participate in a self-awareness process to determine compatibility of career options.  Students have the opportunity to role-play interviews, create resumes, complete job application, and job shadow career options.

Consumer Education:
Consumer Education is designed to enable the student to recognize the role he/she plays as a consumer in our economy.  The student will be better able to see the interrelationship of government; business and consumer in a combination where each affects, and is affected b the other two.  To this end, students will be taught good management of personal business affairs, including consumer law, banking services, credit loans, installment buying, budgeting, housing, informed and skillful buying, consumer protection agencies, and the role of business and government in our economy.  Emphasis is placed on developing personal economic decision-making competence.

Trades & Careers:
Trades and Careers is designed as a survey of building trade skills, especially wood and metal working. There is a high emphasis placed on careers, trades, and life skills that put these learned abilities to practical use.

Driver Education:
Driver Education is taught each semester at Brehm. All Illinois residents must complete 30 hours of classroom instruction. At that time it will be determined if the student is appropriate for behind-the-wheel instruction. The lab fee for driving will only be charged to those students who receive behind-the-wheel instruction. The main focus of this class is to teach the necessary driving skills in order to insure safe new drivers on the road.  We spend 30 hours in the classroom setting studying the Illinois Rules of the Road.  We also study safe driving techniques and how to use a road map.  Once the student has had 30 classroom hours and has passed the Illinois written permit test, we start the actual in-car practice driving,  In order to obtain a drivers license in Illinois, the student will have to receive an additional 50 hours of practice with a parent or legal guardian. Finally students must pass the in-car driving test at the DMV.
The topics covered in this course are:

• Rules of the road
• Traffic safety
• Understanding functions of car parts and controls
• Basic maneuverability in a closed course
• Basic maneuverability during in town driving
• Basic maneuverability on the highway
• Understand the rules of the road
• Adheres to rules of the road
• Mental alertness and awareness while driving
• Ability to handle anxious situations and problem solving