ESU4i Scheduling Notes:
ESU4i classes take place on Friday mornings from 9:00 to 11:00
ESU4i classes do happen on WRDSB elementary and secondary school PD days. (ESU has separately scheduled PD)
ESU4i classes do not happen on other school breaks including Summer Break, March Break, and stat holidays (ie Good Friday).

What is ESU4i?

Generally, like the core ESU program, ESU 4i is a Get SET (Get Skills, Education, Training) program funded by Ontario’s Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development. Ontario’s Get SET programs provide adults with “a foundation from which to launch and pursue their goals.”  As an Get SET service provider,  ESU “provides learners with goal path specific programming in order to prepare them for transition to their next steps.”

More specifically, ESU4i serves adults with developmental disabilities.  ESU4i is a skills development program in communication (reading, writing and speaking) and numeracy (math) at a pre-high school level. The purpose of the ESU4i is to help adults with developmental disabilities prepare to transition to their next steps of further training, employment, volunteering or independence.

ESU is a continuous-intake program.  As ESU4i students become transition-ready and move out of ESU4i and on to their next step, new ESU4i students are added.

What do people learn at ESU4i?

Many ESU4i learners have the goal of growing in independence.  The goal path of independence prepares learners for the literacy and basic skills required in four broad areas

  1. managing basic needs
  2. managing personal health
  3. managing personal issues and relationships
  4. and participating in the community.

Learners participate in individually designed learning experiences focusing on:

  • the upgrading of basic literacy and numeracy skills
  • the practical context in which these skills will be employed
  • the expressed needs and interests of the adults themselves

Who is eligible for ESU4i?

The ESU4i is for developmentally disabled adults over 18. There are two basic requirements for admission to ESU4i:

  • The adult should be able to profit from instruction in basic numeracy and communications (based on teacher assessment).
  • The adult must be physically autonomous and possess the capacity for independent action.

For more information about eligibility criteria contact:  519-885-4356 x5223

How much does ESU4i cost?

The ESU4i program is FREE!  ESU and ESU4i are funded by the Ontario Ministry of Labout, Immigration, Training, and Skills Development.

Where and when are ESU4i classes held?

ESU4i classes are held at 151 Weber Street South, Waterloo.  Classes are held Friday mornings.

How to Register

Enrollment in ESU4i is continuous throughout the school year.  As ESU4i students become transition-ready and move out of ESU4i and on to their next step, new ESU4i students are added.

For more information about registering, contact:  519-885-4356  x5223 or email esu@wrdsb.ca