April 11, 2014 at 4:06 p.m.
Conference helps students with disabilities prepare for life after high school
Conference helps students with disabilities prepare for life after high school
By Kayla Thomason-
Local educators and other interested parties want to ease the transition by offering help and advice. To accomplish that goal they hold an annual Navigating Your Future event for students with special needs.
Juniors and seniors from Rhinelander, Northland Pines, Crandon, Lakeland and Wabeno schools participated in the 2014 Navigating Your Future event Thursday at the Rouman Cinema in Rhinelander.
"(The students learned) that there are different places that can truly help them, that there are successful people that have disabilities and they've been very successful," said Kathy Jolin, facilitator of the Oneida/Vilas County Community on Transition (CCoT).
A County Community on Transition (CCOT) is a regional community that comes together (networks) regularly to identify issues, barriers, supports and solutions to assisting students with disabilities make a successful transition based on student postsecondary goals related to training or education, employment and independent living, according to the organization's website. The key to CCOT success is sharing the work, establishing effective communication and new relationships to better work together.
"The focus of the whole (Navigating Your Future) event, all the sessions, was self advocacy because once they leave high school and they are 18 they have to speak up for themselves, there's no special education case manager or their parents. (They) can't go to their employer, can't go to their school and speak on their behalf," said Lynn Lintereur, a member of the Oneida /Vilas CCoT representing RHS.
The keynote speaker was Robert Metropulos Jr.
Metropulos, who has dyslexia, talked about the ups and downs he went through and how he overcame the challenging moments.
"I put together a program called 'The Personal Profile Program' and what I do is I profile myself in front of the kids, rather than lecture, and go through all the experiences I've been through showing them you can actually fight through adversity," Metropulos said.
In other sessions students learned what employers look for when they are interviewing someone, how to manage their health, job placement, how to access disability services while at college, and facilities they can go to.
Students, parents and staff walked away with a lot of information.
"I think it has been a great educational experience for students, really prepares them for that transition into life - whether it is college, a job - but it gives them some insight as to other individuals who have gone through that transition process and what to expect when they are going through it themselves," said Carie Kluever, learning disabilities teacher at Northland Pines High School.
After the students heard what everyone had to say they answered some surveys which will help CCoT decide which topics they should include for next year's event.
"It's a cooperative effort and I am totally pleased with the people that have worked on this," Jolin said.
Speaking to the students was rewarding and uplifting.
"I really enjoy the schools," Metropulos said. "It's a blessing to be able to have the opportunity to be able to talk to the kids and the parents. I wish more parents would get involved in coming to these talks because a lot of this can help them understand and cope a bit better, even in their own lives," he said.
Kayla Breese may be reached at [email protected].
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