Millcreek Independent Living House reopens at MTSD

MIL House students begin weeding, spreading new soil and planting new landscaping with the guidance of their teacher.

The McDowell Independent Living House (MIL House) reopened for the first time since 2020 and has welcomed students back at Millcreek Township School District for the 2024-25 school year. MIL House is a hands-on learning program for students with special needs to learn how to live independently after graduation from high school. Students learn how to take care of daily tasks in a home setting such as cooking, cleaning, landscaping and price comparing when shopping for supplies.

Students began the year with a field trip to Lowe’s, Walmart and Gerlach’s to purchase landscaping supplies. They made a list of what supplies they needed, compared prices online for each location and then determined which stores they wanted to purchase the items at. They completed this project by learning how to plant, mulch and care for their new landscaping outside of the MIL House.

Another great project this year was a fun Halloween costume activity. Each student was given a yellow apron to turn into an emoji. On the apron, they used fabric markers to recreate the emoji that they felt best described their personality. These aprons will be used to protect students’ clothing for future projects throughout the school year.

Millcreek Township School District is ecstatic to have the MIL House operational and functioning in its full capacity this year. It is a unique opportunity to help students transition and prepare for independent living after graduation.