Frequently Asked Questions

Each course includes:

• Faith-based Curriculum: all of our curriculum is rooted in Scripture and focused on helping students unlock their God-given potential.
• Lesson Plans: each course includes eight ready-to-teach lesson plans that provide step-by-step guidance, discussion questions, accommodation suggestions, and extension activities. 
• Student Handouts: polished materials that are age-appropriate to help participants apply what they learn. Each lesson also includes a "Take Home" sheet so that participants can share what they are learning with their at-home community. 
• E-learning Materials: each lesson is accompanied by an online lesson that provides interactive digital media, visual aids, and assessment tools to keep learning fun and engaging! 
  
  You purchase also includes free registration to Shepherds Learning Community Symposium (May 2027). 
  
  In addition, we provide facilitator resources and direct customer support to ensure your program success with using the O4P Program. 

When it comes to working with IDD learners, pacing will vary by program based on its structure and the needs of its learners. While each course was designed to be taught over eight weeks, with groups meeting once a week for two hours, our adaptable lesson plans have been shown to support a wide range of program models and schedules.

Some programs meet once a week for an hour, extending the curriculum to sixteen weeks or more. Others use the extension activities provided with each lesson to stretch a single lesson across an entire week. Our team is also available to connect with you to determine how the O4P curriculum can best be paced to meet your program’s unique needs and model.

Shepherds Ministries and College has been educating learners with intellectual and developmental disabilities for over 60 years. The On and For a Purpose Program was developed using the same curriculum that we teach to our students on campus at Shepherds College, where we have learners across the IDD spectrum. 

All of the curriculum provided is adaptable so that any learner can participate. Each lesson plan provides accommodation suggestions for activities, and our team is willing to connect with you to provide further support on solutions for you to include all learners in your program. 

A ready-to-teach lesson plan serves as a map to guide the facilitator through each lesson with step-by-step guidance. 

In order to make the lesson more engaging and effect, each lesson is accompanied by online components including: eBooks, interactive digital media, visual aids, and assessment tools. These components are user-friendly and greatly enrich the learning experience. The online components provide visual ques so that the facilitator knows when to transition to an off-screen activity. 

Together, the facilitator guide and the online e-learning components make for engaging, high-quality, seamless lessons.

Want to see a sample lesson plan? Click here! 
Want to see the online component that goes with this sample lesson? Click here!