Perspectives on the Standards
Standard #26: The clubhouse assists members to further their vocational and educational goals by helping them take advantage of adult education opportunities in the community. In addition, clubhouses provide in-house educational programs that significantly utilize the teaching and tutoring skills of members.
Going to school, especially after a long absence, is difficult. Clubhouses connect member students with resources on campus for disabled or returning students and sustain members for the long haul. These services include tuition assistance, tutoring, mentoring, and flexibility in coursework requirements. Clubhouse colleagues also help students fill out application forms and financial aid forms. Whether close by or far away from educational institutions, the important point is that clubhouses encourage members to seek educational opportunities and help them achieve their goals.
The clubhouse is not a school, nor do we train people for specific jobs. However, everybody has the right to an education. Some members come to the clubhouse with credentials while others cannot read. Some are self-taught, and some suffered an interruption in their education due to illness. Members teach each other basic skills like reading, writing, and math, and we have the opportunity to learn many other skills by working in the units. In addition, participating in the work of the clubhouse will challenge members to learn how to solve problems, and how to work as a team.
Many skills are taught by doing, and training in many others are provided by tutors. Clubhouses do not hold classes in "skills of daily living." We see that members, like everybody else, learn if they are challenged throughout the work-ordered-day. If a member wishes to tackle a task they have never tried before, that member can ask a colleague to teach her or him the task. The spirit of the clubhouse movement is most evident when members teach each other; and when a member can do that, it marks a milestone in their journey toward independence.
Among our members are life-long learners who audit courses because of their intellectual interests and also members with clearly defined vocational goals. Our approach to education is identical to our approach to employment; creating exciting opportunities encourages members to think differently about themselves. How do we know who tomorrow's students will be?