Wisconsin Independent Learning College Inc.

AUSTISM SPECIFIC PROGRAMS - AGES 18 AND OVER - PROVIDING DAILY LIVING SKILLS & PRE-VOCATIONAL TRAINING UTILIZING ACADEMICS AND VARIOUS MODES TO TEACH COMMUNICATION SKILLS. APPROXIMATELY 13 STUDENTS BENEFITED FROM THESE PROGRAMS.

WI Independent Learning College, Inc, also known as WILC, is a private nonprofit post secondary trai

Goal One: WILC continues to offer individualized to small group instruction to autistics for daily living to pre-vocational skills at WILC, in the community, their homes and places of employment.

Goal Two: WILC offers autism training/facility to area First Responders (FIre/EMTS/Police) and other nonprofit service organizations who work with or support individuals on the autism spectrum in Wisconsin.

Goal Three: WILC will continue to provide our staff and families autism educational training including innovative proven strategies, materials/curriculum, and other information for informed decision making.

WILC has invested in extensive staff development and technologies for all employees. Multiple staff members have or are presenting participating in a variety of leadership programs: the Waukesha County Business Alliance Leadership 2021-2022 program , the 2020-2021 Helen Bader Institute for Nonprofit Management Year long Leadership - Executive Director and Waukesha County Technical College for Nonprofit / Business program, Business Manager and Executive Director. Throughout 2020 to present our Executive Director has participated in interactive virtual meetings for the Small Business Association, Community Resource Network, The MRA, HR Employment Association, and through our Cincinnati Commercial Insurance programs. Our staff participates in multiple annual trainings. We also provide annual conference attendance to our staff for their specific job roles. We are also providing staff training in WI DHS, Person Centered Planning for our disabled autistic young adults.

Although the past 18 months with Covid have been filled with challenges and WILC met those needs during many changes and important administrative, board, and employee professional development. Starting in 4/2021 while staff was furloughed due to WI State Mandates to close businesses, our Executive DIrector and Board worked together in decision making that led us to partner with our local bank, insurance company, and Small Business Administration seeking their expertise for how to survive the shutdown and continue to move forward to reopen with program updates and growth in students. The Executive Director participated in many webinars to learn about Covid19 throughout 202., New HR approaches along with the Cares Act Federal Payroll Protection Program. WILC qualified for this funding in April 2021 and rehired our staff to work remotely on intensive staff development and online education planning. We were able to reopen 5/18/21 at 50% capacity and on 6/4/21 at 90% autistic student capacity in house and 10% virtual learning, and full time with 100% of our staff. We applied for multiple Federal and Family foundation grants and received additional funding that has allowed us to continue to expand this year. In January 2021 we applied for the second round of PPP and also received that funding and were able to begin to increase our student population beginning in Spring with rolling enrollment and DVR Customized and Supported Employment, to job hires. We also decided to begin prevocational training with WI Explore Work individually to all of our students. We now have a waiting list for future students again for 2021-2022. We have continued to challenge our staff with Person Centered Planning, updating our Student and Employee Handbooks, and moving forward with multiple school district partnerships for 18-21 Post Secondary Transition Programs in southeastern WI.