SAN ANTONIO -- The Edgewood Independent School District is offering a new stepping stone to help special-needs students achieve their independence.

The district celebrated the grand opening of the Edgewood Transition Center Tuesday afternoon. The center will teach life and work skills to special-needs students between the ages of 18 and 22, with hopes that they will learn to live on their own, and thrive in the workplace.

Gordon Hartman, who recently celebrated the grand opening of Morgan's Wonderland, his theme park for people with special-needs, made an appearance as the keynote speaker. From his personal experience with his daughter, Morgan, he said he knows first-hand how important independence is to special needs children.

"Every child, as they become an adult, they want to be independent of their parents, they want to prove themselves," said Hartman. "Those with special-needs are no different."

The center will begin by serving 16 special-needs students, but that number could grow to as many as 40 students, once the programs become established.