A prom unlike most others

“We run our prom like a typical high school,” she said. “There’s a DJ, everybody dresses up, there’s a photographer, catered food, decorations and every year we pick a different theme. This year's theme is the Masquerade Ball.” 

But unlike a typical high school dance, there are accommodations for the attendees, such as providing the attendees with an aide upon request.

“When they go to their proms, sometimes they need a break or one-on-one attention, because there’s so many kids there,” she said. “And our students know that they’re gonna have their friends that they know, a lot of our students come to several different classes a week, so they know each other.” 

The program's dances have had a high turnout since the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions, with more than 70 kids in attendance at their Winter Ball dance in December, according to Green..  

Be Exceptional also likes to include the community in their events as well, as their dances are free events for their students. So businesses can donate their goods and services to the dance or residents can volunteer to set up and run the events. Brentwood and Oakley high school students can volunteer and receive community service hours since the Liberty Union High School District encourages students to complete eight hours of community service towards their American Government class curriculum, officials said. 

Green encourages high school and college students to volunteer, especially those who are interested in special education, “We are looking for high school teens who need community service hours or college students, any young adults who may need the experience in volunteering,” she said. “Or those who are looking to get into the field of special education, a good way is to volunteer.” 

To register for the event as an attendee or a volunteer visit https://bit.ly/3IfGETB. To support Be Exceptional Programs, visit https://bit.ly/3pGpiIW.