Dozens of skills--big and small--are needed to successfully live independently, work a job and build a community of friends.
And while all of our services help build the critical skills needed for a happy, productive life, Independence Prep and our Skill Building Program are great introductory courses to get you started.
Independence Prep Extension is a 9-month program for teens and young adults still in school.
An after-school program, it offers classroom and community-based activities twice each month from September through May.
Take a look at a sample calendar here.
Independence Prep Extension costs $750 for the full 9-month program.
Independence Prep Weekends are offered to teens and young adults three times each year, and are designed to help students build a foundation of independent living skills, a shared goal and vision for one day living independently, and the confidence and excitement needed to pursue their vision.
Independence Prep sessions focus on building independent living skills in a safe, supported and fun environment. Skill-building experiences include:
- personal management (getting up and ready independently, managing a schedule)
- home management (cleaning + organizing)
- health + wellness (self-care and coping strategies; meal planning + preparation)
- healthy relationships (teamwork; making friends)
- transportation (getting around the community)
- employment (communicating your needs and engaging with others; group etiquette)
- money management (the costs of living on your own, creating and sticking to a budget)
- safety (staying safe in new environments)
As students often join Independence Prep Weekends for a year or two before moving on to independent living, slight modifications are made to each session's schedule to ensure students are learning and reinforcing new skills each time they join us.
Our next sessions of Independence Prep Weekends are:
- January 9 - 11, 2026
- April 10 - 12, 2026
Independence Prep Weekends cost $550 for a single room and $500 for a double room (as available.) This includes a two-night local hotel stay, all meals, activity materials, expert-designed curriculum and lessons, and support from staff throughout the weekend.
Independence Prep Summer is an extended version of our Independence Prep Weekends, offering a 3-week day camp and 2-night overnight capstone weekend to build independent living, vocational and social skills.
Independence Prep Summer day camp sessions run 9 am - 3 pm Monday through Friday.
2026 Independence Prep Summer dates and pricing will be released in early 2026.
Prices include three weeks of day camp, a two-night local hotel stay, meals (lunch at day camp and all meals for the overnight experience), weekly field trips into the community, activity and learning materials, expert-designed curriculum and lessons, and support from staff.
Independence Prep Residency is an immersive independent living experience for select students in our Independence Prep Summer camp who are ready to try on supported independent living.
Residency students attend our 3-week summer day camp Monday through Friday, live in our apartments with a roommate and the support of our staff Monday through Thursday, and go home on weekends.
2026 Independence Prep Residency dates and pricing will be released in early 2026.
Prices include everything provided through Independence Prep Summer as well as three weeks (Monday through Thursday) of housing in our apartments, meals, evening support from staff, and 24/7 emergency support.
Our Skill Building Program offers three to four activities each week.
Our activities are scheduled for weeknights and weekend afternoons, and about half take place in our classroom in Troy while others take place out in the metro Detroit community.
Take a look at a sample month of activities here.
The Skill Building Program costs $275 per month and includes unlimited access to our activities.
Our Skill Building Program is currently on a waitlist.
If you're interested in building skills, begin the application process here.
Please contact Emily Lourim, Director of Education, at emily@onmyownofmi.org or (248) 649-3739 x 221.