Dec 12, 20232 min read

Building Community Through Cooperation: A Look into the Reach Every Voice Co-Op

Have you ever dreamed about what it would be like to have a space where nonspeaking people can learn, build positive relationships, and effectively communicate with one another?

Well, this was a dream of mine and we made it happen here at Reach Every Voice!

Two people smiling at the camera, taking a break after class to pose for a picture. — Powerhouse Co-Op Teachers: Miranda & Stevie

Co-Op is a small group educational program inspired by the Reach Every Voice Institute. It is a 2 hour program that runs 2 days a week.

I'm Miranda Cobo, a REV Educational Specialist, and I teach and coordinate our Co-Op program.

I am joined by Stevie Mays (our fantastic weekend Institute Instructor) this semester to co-teach and collaborate with me and our students.

Together we create material based on student interest and develop unique questions using language ladder strategies that allow students of all communicative abilities to participate.

Graphic of a ladder with each step representing a step in the language ladder strategy.

A language ladder is a structure that provides us with a path toward open ended communication - which is where we get to hear our student’s original thoughts and ideas.

The cooperative element of this co-op is that the group as a whole communally determine the topics they study.

Lessons are customized to allow student-driven learning to be at the center of our program.

Some of the lesson topics we have covered are: Urban Legends, Taylor Swift, European Culture, Mythic Civilizations, Greek Mythology, and so much more!

This program is a true labor of love. I wanted to develop a place where we fostered learning as an interactive element.

Students are required to attend with a support person, however this support person does not need to be a trained communication partner. This program is designed in a way that provides training opportunities for support staff while the teacher interactively works with students and staff on coaching and modeling different prompting techniques. The group size for this program is capped at 5 participants, which allows for more coaching and opportunities for involvement.