At Cape May County Special Services School District (CMCSSSD), the beginning of the year has been a busy time. Funding received through the Maximizing Post Secondary Outcome Grant has opened doors for staff members to create new opportunities for young adults. The district has been able to add new placements to the extensive list of work-based learning (WBL) sites. Within the last two months alone, Cape May County Library System, Able Acres, Ocean City Community Center, Animal Outreach and TJ Maxx have been added.
Increased access to transportation to work sites throughout the county with the help of grant funding has been a critical element to this growth. For some of our students, using transportation is a new experience. To help them become comfortable and understand how to safely use transportation, we will host presenters from New Jersey Transit and the police department to talk to students about travel safety and how to stay safe in the community.
The hands-on work experiences gained at the WBL sites is invaluable in helping students prepare for their future as independent adults in both the workforce and life. Experiences vary from site to site, and are chosen according to each individual’s interests and abilities. At retail sites like the Ocean City boardwalk stores and TJ Maxx, students take and prepare inventory, tag merchandise, greet customers, stock shelves, organize, and complete small cleaning projects. At animal-care facilities, like the local cat shelter and Able Acres, students care for animals, clean, do laundry, stock supplies, and landscaping. At the in-house work sites, like the on-campus Front Porch Cafe, students gain valuable experience in customer service and using a cash register. Students also assist on-campus with serving refreshments and hosting events like the holiday show, book fair and picture day.
At Cape May County Special Services School District (CMCSSSD), the beginning of the year has been a busy time. Funding received through the Maximizing Post Secondary Outcome Grant has opened doors for staff members to create new opportunities for young adults. The district has been able to add new placements to the extensive list of work-based learning (WBL) sites. Within the last two months alone, Cape May County Library System, Able Acres, Ocean City Community Center, Animal Outreach and TJ Maxx have been added.
Increased access to transportation to work sites throughout the county with the help of grant funding has been a critical element to this growth. For some of our students, using transportation is a new experience. To help them become comfortable and understand how to safely use transportation, we will host presenters from New Jersey Transit and the police department to talk to students about travel safety and how to stay safe in the community.
The hands-on work experiences gained at the WBL sites is invaluable in helping students prepare for their future as independent adults in both the workforce and life. Experiences vary from site to site, and are chosen according to each individual’s interests and abilities. At retail sites like the Ocean City boardwalk stores and TJ Maxx, students take and prepare inventory, tag merchandise, greet customers, stock shelves, organize, and complete small cleaning projects. At animal-care facilities, like the local cat shelter and Able Acres, students care for animals, clean, do laundry, stock supplies, and landscaping. At the in-house work sites, like the on-campus Front Porch Cafe, students gain valuable experience in customer service and using a cash register. Students also assist on-campus with serving refreshments and hosting events like the holiday show, book fair and picture day.
Students use their WBL skills to serve refreshments to guests at the annual holiday show.
In addition to the new work sites, the funding has also allowed the district to add staff members. CMCSSSD welcomed one new WBL coordinator and three new job coaches to help oversee students. The increased number of staff members means that more students are now able to participate in WBL. In fact, the district has nearly doubled the number of students going out to work sites since the end of last school year, from 27 to 49, and that number is still growing. Students participate in leisure activities such as hayrides, chair yoga and shopping on a budget with the help of the grant funding as well.
Three WBL students presented to the Transitions Coordinator Network of Southern New Jersey at one of their meetings. The presentation gave students the opportunity to share information about their job experiences, strengths and personal interests. They also discussed the importance of self-advocacy and how it positively impacts their self-esteem. The CMCSSSD Transitions Coordinators who attended with students gained information about a greater range of work experiences available and how they can network to develop more job sites for their district. Coordinators were able to share with everyone in attendance about new placements and how the grant has helped to increase the district’s access to transportation, number of placements and variety of services.
For more information on Cape May County Special Services School District, please visit their website. To learn about the Maximizing Post-School Outcomes for Students with Disabilities Grant, please click here.