Wisconsin Partners With Vocational Rehab and High Schools for Pre-ETS Success
At the recent Texas Conference on Transition, experts from across the country weighed in what the WIOA mandate for Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) means in practice. Again and again, presenters commented that though implementation may look a little different everywhere, collaboration between public school special education classrooms and local vocational rehabilitation counselors will be key […]
To Our Teachers: You Are Something Special
It’s Teacher Appreciation Week and Project Discovery sends applause and our “Thank You” from the heart to the diverse community of educators we serve and are inspired by throughout the year. You are creative, innovative and have the most passionate hearts for your students. For all of us, the greatest reward is seeing those students succeed. […]
Minnesota Embraces Mandates and Seeks Funding for WIOA Pre-Employment Services
WIOA recognizes that individuals can’t simply be thrust into the workforce without proper preparation. A recent article in The Minnesota Post highlights that additional state funding is necessary to achieve the worthy pre-employment transition goals of the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). WIOA legislates a framework for fostering employment for all individuals, including those with disabilities. Currently, […]
What Is WIOA? – Introducing #EmbraceTheMandate
What exactly is WIOA? WIOA is the acronym for the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, a federal law signed in 2014 and implemented in 2015. Totaling just under 300 pages, WIOA both reauthorizes and reforms pieces of the 1998 Workforce Investment Act. Adults have always been covered under the law. Now, youth with disabilities and […]
Beyond Autism Awareness: Supporting Interests Brings a Wealth of Talent to the Workforce!
(http://steinhardt.nyu.edu/site/ataglance/files/2017/02/engineers.jpg) Research published in the Journal of Occupational Therapy in Mental Health, gives individuals with Autism and their supporters a new reason to celebrate bringing their talents to the workplace. Published in February 2017, new data suggests that, when supported, the strong interests of individuals with Autism may in the long term, develop into successful […]
Inclusion is Good for Business
During Autism Awareness Month, Project Discovery is all about moving beyond awareness to empowerment. We have the tools to develop job ready and life ready skills for all students, and we tip our hats to employers, like Microsoft, SAP, EY (formerly Ernst & Young), that are taking aggressive steps to hire individuals with Autism. Below […]
Microsoft Welcomes Talented Individuals with Autism
Microsoft is actively seeking candidates for an ever-expanding list of opportunities, including roles in software engineering, data science, customer service and operations. This was hardly breaking news, until Microsoft announced that these hires would be part of a new program to recruit individuals with Autism. Mary Ellen Smith, Corporate Vice President for Worldwide Operations, introduced Microsoft’s new initiative at the United Nations on World Autism […]
Hands-on learning to prepares students for the workplace
Teachers know that businesses need employees who can collaborate with others. In fact, interviews with hundreds of employers indicate that applied social skills like problem solving, collaboration, and oral communication are critical for career success. A hands-on job skills curriculum naturally incorporates opportunities for students to develop these high-value teamwork skills. When working together, students not […]
Beyond Volunteerism: Why Service Learning is Right for Your Students
Community service projects and required volunteerism have been a standing part of educational curriculum in the United States for many years. The implementation of service learning into educational lessons and planning, however, is revolutionizing the quality of teaching and learning students experience. By creating formal classroom assignments that include service learning components, students are exposed […]
Want to Increase Your Students Engagement?
Are you looking for resources to actively engage your students in the classroom? Check out “3 Ways to Increase Student Engagement Through Hands-On Activities,” which offers alternatives to teaching students only with a textbook. After a summer of “doing” things, students are longing for hands-on activities to facilitate learning. Project-based learning is changing the process […]