Skills Development

Classes

Our skills development program provides comprehensive training in various vocational areas, designed to equip participants with practical and in-demand skills. We offer these programs during weekdays as part of our vocational skills curriculum, as well as an extensive array of weekend vocational skills programs to accommodate diverse schedules and learning preferences.

We especially encourage new students to explore our beginner-level programs, which are designed for students with no prior exposure to the subject matter. These classes are paced gently, with concepts broken down into simple, accessible steps, ensuring that every learner has the opportunity to try, learn, and grow with confidence.

Our full-term weekend classes run from September to May, while our short-term classes are available from September to December and February to May. Enrollment for fall weekend programs takes place from June to August. Students registering after August are placed on a waiting list and enrolled based on spot availability.

A unique feature of our weekend programs is the one-on-one buddy system. In this system, each student is paired with a peer buddy volunteer who assists them with classwork and homework. This partnership is maintained throughout the entire course, fostering friendship and trust, and creating a positive and supportive classroom experience.

For detailed information on class timings for the Fall Session, please click on the Weekend Classes Schedule.

FAQ

Inclusive World’s skills development classes are held during the school/college academic year starting in September through the year until May. Some classes are offered for a shorter duration of 12-14 weeks and some are for a longer duration of 24-26 weeks. Most of our classes are held on the weekend (Saturday and Sunday). See our calendar for more details.

Each skill class session is typically for 1 hour and 15 mins. Other than the class session, one will need to make time for another 45 minutes of homework session during the week.

Inclusive World offers some skills development classes in-person at the Inclusive World Center, at Milpitas, California, and some online.

Below is the fee structure for our Skill Development Program and Small Business@IW – Products & Services Programs:

  • A non-refundable annual registration fee of $50 will be applied.
  • The fee for a single program enrollment is $150 per program, while the Annual Membership fee is $300, providing access to all available programs.
  • If you are interested in enrolling in multiple programs, we suggest choosing the Annual Membership Fee, which grants you access to all available programs.

Inclusive World’s program model is rooted in “Person-centered” practices. When members enroll into a skill class at Inclusive World, we pair each member with a peer group volunteer to support the learning process in class. Mapping is based on the profile information we collect from members and volunteers and the “person-centered” tools we use.

Yes, you can register for more than one skill class based on your availability and the schedule we have to offer.

You can reach us at info@inclusiveworld.org if you have any other specific question.

MS Excel for Everyday Life

Pre-requisite: None

Duration: 26 weeks

This accessible course introduces students to Excel in a practical, easy-to-understand way, with no prior exposure required. Over 26 weeks, students explore spreadsheet concepts and learn to navigate rows and columns using simple keyboard shortcuts and tricks. They practice formulas and functions to perform calculations, discover features to make data more presentable, create dropdown lists, and sort and filter data to analyze information. Students also learn to summarize data visually using charts and chart elements.

All lessons are project-based, providing opportunities to practice and explore in a supportive environment that builds confidence step by step. Learning Excel not only builds computer skills but also helps with day-to-day tasks like managing a budget, tracking schedules, organizing information, or planning events—making it a valuable life skill.

“The Instructors Janaki and Sangeetha are amazing and it’s almost like family. They were actively engaged and made the sessions very interesting. Special shoutout for going virtual too .. Thank you so much.” – Parent

Excel Intermediate

Pre-requisite: MS Excel Basic

Duration: 26 weeks

Intermediate Excel is part of the continuous education plan. This class requires completion of Excel Basics. In this class, we build on the skills learnt in basic class and then expand it to add further to teach skills like Conditional Formatting, Pivot, Vlookup, Data Sort and Filter, Sumif/ Countif/ concatenate and creating charts. The focus in Excel intermediate is not only to learn techniques, but to understand what techniques to use based on the data and the questions asked about the data.

“The Instructors Janaki and Sangeetha are amazing and it’s almost like family. They were actively engaged and made the sessions very interesting. Special shoutout for going virtual too .. Thank you so much.” – Parent

Coding Made Easy: Scratch & Robotics

Pre-requisite: None
Duration: 22–24 weeks

This beginner-friendly course is designed for students with little or no prior exposure to computer programming. The goal is to make programming fun and approachable while building curiosity and confidence.

Scratch, a visual programming language developed by MIT, uses interactive drag-and-drop blocks instead of heavy typing, making it easy for first-time coders to learn. In the first 12 weeks, students explore core programming concepts such as loops, conditionals, and variables through creative, project-based activities.

In the second half of the course, students bring their learning to life by programming robots. They will create programs to make robots move, turn, change lights, and play sounds. The final project involves robots navigating around objects using sensors to detect obstructions. By the end of the session, students will not only have gained a foundation in programming but also be ready to move on to the next level of robotics.

Learning Scratch and robotics also helps students build problem-solving, logical thinking, and creativity skills—abilities that can be applied in everyday life, from tackling challenges to thinking through steps in a task.

“The program not only focuses on learning but also on friendly interaction with students. Students are made to feel important.” – Parent

Bug Hunters: Intro to Software Testing

Prerequisite: None

Duration:  22-24 Weeks

This beginner-friendly course introduces students to the world of software quality assurance in a simple and hands-on way. No prior testing experience is required—just basic computer literacy.

Over 22–24 weeks, students learn about the software development life cycle, the importance of quality assurance, and how to create and execute test plans and test cases. They also build analytical thinking skills by learning to identify and classify different types of bugs.

Students gain practical experience while working on a real-time product—a cognitive development games application. They not only play an important role in functional testing but also see firsthand how software quality assurance improves products we use every day.

Beyond technology, software testing also helps students develop attention to detail, problem-solving skills, and structured thinking—valuable abilities for real-life situations like following instructions carefully, spotting mistakes in daily tasks, or thinking step-by-step through challenges.

“Enjoyed working together with my partner in observing, reporting on behavior of Kidzilla games through developing test cases, finding issues and passing suggestions for enhancements. Also appreciate how the Mentors gave me time to reply in chat box and how they responded to me.” – Student

Software Testing Level 2

Prerequisite: Software Testing Level 1 

Duration: 22-24 Weeks

Software Testing Level 2 is part of our continuous curriculum plan. Building on the introductory concepts in the level 1 class, Software Testing Level 2 will have students writing their own test plan documentation and test cases. Furthermore, this multi-part course will also cover test automation, exposure to bug tracking tools, and shell scripting. Students will have an engaging experience as they will work with a real time product in a hands-on manner. We aim for students to be proficient in the industry testing standards by the end of this course.

“It helped me learn about credit unions and get a better understanding of test cases and testing software like how a user of the credit union website would.” – Student

Conversation Skills Program

Prerequisite: None

Duration: 24 weeks

Students enrolled in 24 weeks Conversation Skills program engage in practicing scripts that help them converse with people outside their comfort zone. The scripts generally are based on day to day conversation like reserving a table in restaurants, explaining their hobbies, interest in books, etc., to their acquaintances. Once the students are comfortable with the given script, they are expected to converse with the volunteers explaining their own choice of hobbies, books, any given topic for that matter. Students are paired with different volunteers on a rotational basis enabling them to converse with new people in the real world scenario.

Python Programming

Prerequisite: Scratch Programming or any other programming language

Duration: 22-24 weeks

Python beginner level class is designed for students who have completed Scratch Programming class or have some experience with programming. Having some knowledge of basic Mathematics is preferable. The Python class uses a visual editor to make programming fun and engaging. The class covers introductory programming concepts such as keywords, datatypes and variables, arithmetic operators, conditionals and loops. The final project will encompass all the concepts learnt. Upon completion of this class, students have the opportunity to repeat the class to get a solid foundation or move onto learning the next level of Python programming.

Introduction to Website Building

Prerequisite: None

Duration: 22 weeks

This beginner-friendly course introduces students to the exciting world of websites and guides them through the process of creating their own personal website using the popular website builder, Weebly. No prior experience is needed—just curiosity and creativity.

Students will learn step by step how to build a personal website, create new pages, add a blog, insert contact forms, and include maps and other features to make their website useful and interactive. By the end of the course, each student will have a fully functional personal website to showcase their interests, projects, or portfolio.

Learning website development not only builds digital skills but also helps students express themselves, share information, and practice organizing content—valuable skills that can be applied in both school and everyday life.

Website Development Intermediate

Prerequisite: Website Development Basic

Duration: 22 weeks

This intermediate course offers an in-depth exploration of ReactJS, focusing on core concepts, component-based architecture, and effective state management. Students will gain hands-on experience building dynamic, responsive web applications while learning industry-standard best practices. The curriculum also introduces Node.js for backend development, empowering students to build full-stack applications with seamless integration between frontend and backend. Ideal for those looking to deepen their web development skills, this course provides a practical and robust foundation for modern full-stack development.

Create Your First Mobile App

Prerequisite: None

Duration: 22-24 weeks

This beginner-friendly course is designed for neurodiverse students who are curious about coding and want to explore the world of mobile apps. Using Thunkable, a visual and user-friendly programming platform for Android and iOS, students will learn how to design and build their very own mobile apps.

The class emphasizes hands-on learning and creativity, helping students build a strong foundation in app development while making coding fun and accessible. Students will also see how the skills they learn—like problem-solving, logical thinking, and organizing information—can be applied in everyday life, from designing helpful tools to sharing ideas digitally.

Mobile App Development Intermediate

Prerequisite: Mobile App Development Basic and familiarity with Computer Programming

System Requirement: MacBook Air (M1, M2, M3, M4) or MacBook Pro (Apple Silicon M1–M4), or Intel-based MacBook Pro from 2019 onward (no Intel MacBook Air models)

Duration: 22-24 weeks

This intermediate course provides a comprehensive journey through iOS app development, beginning with the basics of Swift and SwiftUI and advancing to professional mobile development techniques. Students will learn to design engaging user interfaces using SwiftUI and UIKit, implement data persistence using CoreData and MongoDB Atlas, and work with RESTful API integration, maps, location services, and media handling. MongoDB Atlas is a cloud-based and intuitive NoSQL database that offers a flexible and beginner-friendly way to manage app data. The curriculum also covers advanced Swift programming concepts. A capstone project runs throughout the course, empowering students to apply best practices while building a fully functional, production-ready iOS application.

Introduction to Artificial Intelligence

Prerequisite: None

Duration: 22-24 weeks

This hands-on course introduces neurodiverse youth to the world of Artificial Intelligence through engaging, age-appropriate activities. Students explore how AI powers everyday tools like voice assistants, chatbots, and image recognition. They also learn to use AI to simplify real-life tasks—writing emails, planning schedules, and understanding difficult text. With lots of repetition, visual aids, and real-world examples, this course builds confidence, independence, and essential digital skills in a fun and supportive environment.