A cottage business thrives in Donnalee Carroll's classroom at Mercy Special Learning Center in Allentown. Seven students work a portion of each day to create jewelry that combines scrapbooking paper, metal washers, Mod Podge, and beads into lovely, stylish necklaces.

Mercy Metal Works, the teachers' brainchild, grew from a Mother's Day project in 2013.

"We wanted something tactile for our students to make," Carroll said. "Betty [Hader] googled 'metal washer necklaces' and discovered this craft."

"I tried it with my daughter, a graduate of Mercy, at home, and she could do it, so I thought we'd try it with our students," said Hader, one of the room's teaching assistants.

Finding age-appropriate activities for children with intellectual and/ or developmental disabilities is an ongoing challenge. This vocational program dovetails perfectly with the class' main goal to teach social and life skills that prepare students for jobs within the community.

"We're always looking for things for our older kids to do," Carroll said, "and we wanted something more hands-on."

60th year

Mercy Special Learning Center is, according to Tom Harper, a well-kept secret. The school will celebrate its 60th anniversary in the 2014-15 school year, he said.

"We have 68 students aged 3 - 21 right now," Haper explained, "who are divided into classes not by grade, but by age and ability. It's not a daycare but a school for kids who have communication and learning difficulties."

The goal, Harper said, is to bring out each student's potential.

"We have amazing teachers and professionals who really encourage each student's self-confidence and self-esteem," he said.

The seven students in Carroll and Hader's classroom smile, are always ready to demonstrate their creations. They've sold their products at craft shows, holiday showcases, and community events. The pride each has in helping with their jewelry is as beautiful as their special necklaces.

"We take the kids into the community and they shop for supplies," Carroll said. "It's a practical experience for them, interacting with other people."

"They work on appropriate behavior when shopping - not touching people or things, keeping their voices down, learning not to expect a 'treat' or pitching a tantrum when things don't go their way," Hader added.

Real experience

When students prepare to work, their cottage industry becomes cross-curricular.

"They're counting, cutting and measuring for math, and developing hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills," Carroll said. "And they're increasing their time on task."

"Everyone can contribute something," Carroll said.

Each student has a role or two, identified on their nametags proudly worn on their workshop aprons: Evan, director of public relations, who smiles constantly; and production trainee, Jordan, youngest and newest of the group is, "coming along fine," Hader said.

Thomas, senior production manager and director of creativity, "has a good eye for what papers to choose," Hader said, "and Renee's role is sales and marketing."

The creative director of fashion design is Miranda. Jordan, the financial director, uses a money board to match up amounts and make change. Kyle, executive office manager, writes out receipts for customers.

Production steps

Students demonstrated their roles with each step of a necklace's creation. First, students cut colorful scrapbook paper into squares, following lines drawn by their teachers.

Next, other students covered the two-inch metal grommets with Mod Podge and pressed a square of paper over top.

Another student concentrated on trimming the paper around the grommet's edge.

"The only step we do," Hader explained, "is to cut out the center of the grommet with an x-acto knife and to put a glaze on for the final top coat."

Once the piece dries, a student measures and cuts a cord that he then wraps around the transformed medallion.

A classmate packages the necklace, including a card that explains the Mercy Metal Works program.

Two students demonstrated how they stock the "sale table" set up outside Room 2 and their classmate demonstrated how to ring a sale and make change.

"The students are motivated and excited by the project," Carroll said. "They do so much on their own, getting supplies ready and setting up."

"They're showing a creativity that we didn't know they had," she said.

Positive results

Hader is amazed by how much the students have progressed on their own.

"Miranda can do steps on her own that she couldn't before," Hader said. "She's just grown that much."

Carroll agrees.

"We found things for the students to do, and we often think, 'well, let's see what happens, just for fun' and they surprise us because they can do it - and then they take it beyond our expectations."

Such has been the case with Mercy Metal Works.

The students make and sell the necklaces for $5 apiece. They've made and sold over 140 necklaces. The proceeds go back into the business for more supplies and to the students themselves. Students also made a donation to Breast Cancer Awareness.

"What touches me is that they have their own money that they earned," Carroll said. "Mom and dad don't have to send money for everything, like going out to lunch, because the students can pay for it themselves."

Before Christmas when they took the students out, the students picked out their own presents that they paid for with their own money, she said.

"Jordan's twin sister cried when he gave her a gift that he picked out and paid for," Carroll said.