Curriculum
Our curriculum is designed to give students the skills they need to gain employment. Students learn while working through realistic business scenarios and they work at their own pace and ability level. The instructor to student ratio is 1:1 or 1:2.
Over the course of the year, students learn through a variety of instructional formats. We use an easy-to-follow textbook with CD-ROM tutorials for review. Besides following textbook instruction, students are given independent projects. Students work on these projects with step by step assistance from the textbook. These exercises reinforce learning while helping students identify performance gaps. Students are tested as instruction for each computer program is completed.
After completing the Donka training program, students will be able to:
- Operate and manage computer equipment and assistive devices
- Use Windows to run programs, manage files, toggle between programs, and get help
- Write letters, create reports, copy and delete files, produce form letters, mail merge lists and labels
- Create a database, add data, search for information, create forms, create labels and merge mail lists
- Demonstrate an understanding of spreadsheets, set up a variety of spreadsheets utilizing functions of the program
- Use a web browser (Chrome, Edge, Firefox) to conduct research in specific areas of interest
- Use Microsoft Outlook to send and receive e-mail
Cost of Services
Our cost to provide Microsoft Office Suite computer training with AT averages $5,000 - $8,000 per student.
90% of our students are low income per the 2016 MFI. Many of our students are referred by the Illinois Department of Rehabilitation Services, which covers a portion of the cost of Microsoft Office Suite computer training with assistive technology in our DuPage and Kane County computer labs. For more information about the Illinois Department of Rehabilitation Services please visit: https://www.dhs.state.il.us/page.aspx?item=29727
Other students, under the age of 65 with goals to continue their education or return to work are funded through private-pay or Illinois Workers’ Compensation. Residents of the DuPage County Convalescent Center where Donka houses its computer lab are offered a modified computer training curriculum that focuses on increasing social interaction and communication skills as part of an in-kind donation. Donka also travels to senior centers in DuPage and Kane County and provides customized computer training using assistive technology. In addition, Donka provides fee for service Train-the-Trainer Workshops to students and professionals in the fields of rehabilitation, vocational rehabilitation, special education and education.