Living & Learning Enrichment Center is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization founded by Rachelle Vartanian. Rachelle graduated from Eastern Michigan University with a Bachelor’s Degree in teaching for the emotionally impaired. Right out of college, she worked at a lock-up center for adjudicated youth. She was passionate about this and worked with this population for over ten years. During this time, she went back to school and obtained a Master’s Degree in Educational Psychology with a concentration in Personality & Development. She did this to better understand why so many of her students chose to behave in self-destructive manners.
It was during this time Rachelle was seeing signs of autism in her youngest son. When he was officially diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome, she made the decision to go back to school and get a second Master’s Degree in Autism Spectrum Disorders from Madonna University. It was also during this time, she started teaching high school special education in Farmington Public Schools.
She took a leap of faith and quit her job after being a special education teacher for 20 years when a buy-out was offered at the school district she worked at. Selling her family home of twenty years, drawing money from her retirement, and downsizing her life allowed Living & Learning to be born.
We talk about how they found the property for their new headquarters and the series of miracles it took to move into this new facility that has allowed them to make an incredible impact on the people in their community and grow their programs.
It was the Don Massey Cadillac manion. On the other side of the street was housing. It seemed too good to be true.
Roger could see the dream as he walked the property with Rachelle. They started an alpaca farm. They are gentle animals and their fiber makes a high-end yarn that provides jobs for their people. They have a bunny farm. They sell fresh eggs and raise chickens. They opened an Mod market.
They also have an IT academy for highly skilled individuals.
If someone you know or your child wants to get involved with one of their programs they can call 248.308.3592. We do an intake that takes about an hour with a tour to help understand the needs of the individual. The intake is free.
You can donate to The Living and Learning Enrichment Center to help them continue their work.
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