Stuck in high school: Transitioning young adults to workforce

Pilot leads to program at Toll Gate

Matt Bower
Posted 10/9/14

Last week, Toll Gate High School special education teacher Carol Allen took her students to Jaswell’s Farm in Smithfield to learn how a farm works but also to go apple and pumpkin picking. Before …

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Stuck in high school: Transitioning young adults to workforce

Pilot leads to program at Toll Gate

Posted

Last week, Toll Gate High School special education teacher Carol Allen took her students to Jaswell’s Farm in Smithfield to learn how a farm works but also to go apple and pumpkin picking. Before that, Allen and her students spent time at the Pet Refuge Animal Shelter in North Kingstown, as well as at the Warwick Mall Food Court.

Allen, who also serves as the 18-21 transition coordinator at Toll Gate, heads the Vocational Transition Program (VTP) at the school, which offers students with Individualized Education Programs (IEP) 18 to 21 an opportunity to be better prepared to enter the job market when transitioning from high school.

Dennis Mullen, director of secondary education for the Warwick School Department, said students with IEPs have until age 21 to graduate and the school department is responsible for them until then.

“This is the first year for the program at Toll Gate,” Mullen said. “It’s extremely important. We have a responsibility to all students, so anything we can do to help them be successful as they transition out of the school system is important.”

Mullen said the program has been a long time in coming.

“I’m glad we’re doing it,” he said. “I’m very pleased and confident it will be successful.”

Allen said following the success of a pilot program she ran last year, the administration felt it was time that Toll Gate house the first adult 18-21 program for students after they completed their high school requirements, which include academics, senior project, e-portfolio, and state testing requirements.

“I received such positive comments from parents and tremendous support from the administrative staff,” Allen said in an email to the Beacon.

Allen said the program is invaluable for students that need a little extra time to cultivate their job skills, social skills, independent living, and self-advocacy skills.

“It is so rewarding to see such personal growth in my students,” she said. “They are developing such self-confidence, communication and leadership skills due to the different job skills they are learning and also their ability to connect with and give back to their community.”

Allen is currently working with five students and has arranged the following seven job sites: Coventry Physical Therapy; Warwick Mall Food Court; Denny’s; Warwick Chamber of Commerce; Pet Refuge Animal Shelter; Child, Inc.; and the Warwick Public Schools Administrative Building.

“The goal is to develop a skill-set to go right to work and be part of the community and give back,” she said.

Although the program is completely funded through the Warwick School Department, Allen said her students operate a small school store for teachers and use the profits to subsidize educational field trips and activities, such as the visit to Jaswell’s Farm.

“It’s about finding fun things to do that are educational,” she said. “We also attend the Dare to Dream Leadership Conference in May and a Career Fair. My students are all members of the Best Buddy Club, which is a friendship club for students with and without disabilities.”

Allen said she hasn’t run into any challenges with the program so far, but said as the class becomes larger with enrollment; logistics regarding transportation and staff could become an issue.

Allen said the program will expand naturally, “as students graduate and complete their high school requirements and need an extra year or two to be better prepared for the real world of work and develop their self-advocacy skills.”

Allen praised her students.

“They’re amazing kids and they’re doing wonderful,” she said. “I’m really proud of them.”

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