On a chilly Tuesday afternoon, Guild School student Leah* is busy whipping up some homemade mac n’ cheese in Middlesex Community College’s instructional kitchen. “It’s even better than Kraft,” she promises.

The Guild for Human Services, which educates, encourages, and empowers individuals with intellectual disabilities, is premiering its documentary, The World Got Smaller: The Spirit of The Guild during COVID-19 on March 16th at 1 PM EST online. The short film provides a first-hand look at how the pandemic curtailed the community life of individuals with intellectual disabilities. The film is being released to commemorate the second anniversary of the State of Emergency declared in Massachusetts and the subsequent closing of schools.

Leading up to the March 16th premiere of The World Got Smaller: The Spirit of The Guild During COVID-19, we’ll be featuring students, residents, staff, and parents interviewed in the film on our blog.

Laura Schooley, Student Services Manager, celebrated her 10-year anniversary with The Guild last month! We sat down with Laura to chat about her professional experiences and what motivates her in her role.   

What roles have you held with The Guild?

The Guild for Human Services recently was awarded a $19,130 grant from the Sudbury Foundation to support an online expressive arts therapy program for families of nonspeaking children at The Guild School.

After remaining closed throughout the pandemic’s peak to provide distanced office space for staff, The Guild’s counseling center has re-opened. Counselors can now take advantage of its chalkboard wall, collection of instruments, therapeutic toys, and art supplies.

On a cold Wednesday in November, The Guild School’s kitchen is a whirlwind of activity: one student pops a pan of cheesy pigs-in-a-blanket into the oven while another cleans up the countertops. More student chefs are putting the finishing touches on a second tray, taking care to wrap each appetizer just right.

Whether we’re in the middle of the action, hanging out on the sidelines, or watching from home with friends, sports foster community-building and a healthy sense of competition. The connection between sports and positive life outcomes has been well documented.

On Wednesday, October 13th at 7 p.m. The Guild will be hosting a live book reading event via Zoom featuring authors J.M. Crawford (mother of a Guild adult resident), Choices, and Nicole Donovan, A Life Suspended.

Meet our DSPs!

In honor of Direct Support Professional Recognition Week, we're featuring DSPs throughout the week so you can get to know The Guild’s incredible staff members! Read on to learn more about two of our outstanding DSPs:

Norman Rutinwa, Teaching Assistant