Businesses + Agencies + Schools = Employment (B.A.S.E). project plan
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Vision
Leveraging meaningful and competitive employment for people with disabilities.
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Mission
BASE (Businesses + Agencies + Schools = Employment) stakeholders will operationalize this vision to ensure people with disabilities have access to gainful employment by:
- Keeping an inclusive approach to all actions relating to this project
- Building solid relationships and partnerships with community partners
- Creating a pathway for future implementation beyond the initial grant cycle
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Goal 1: Increase employment of people with disabilities throughout the area with the direct support of Aspire Johnson County to connect local businesses with partner schools.
SY 2022-23:
- Memorialize MOU’s with partners
- Two virtual or in person field trips per month as well as additional initiatives.
- Partner with grant partners to complete a handbook for local businesses which provides resources on work-based learning.
- Three outreach meetings with local businesses per week to engage in 3E efforts with schools
- Lead Education Industry Collaborative meetings to update stakeholders on grant progress
- Create a menu of career exploration and work-based learning options businesses can access through their partnership
- Marketing - School to work efforts, chamber members (600 plus businesses
SY 2023-2024
- Continue other initiatives to retain talent to Johnson County which gives students career exploration opportunities, such as Senior Industry Tours or Discover Your Career Pathway.
- Two virtual or in person field trips per month
- Three outreach meetings with local business per week
- Lead Education Industry Collaborative meetings to update stakeholders on grant progress
- Field trips for teachers during summer of 2023 to educate on career paths in region
- Continue to collaborate with grant partners to collect project metrics
- Marketing - School to work efforts, chamber members (600 plus businesses)
SY 2024-2025
- Two virtual or in person field trips per month as well as additional initiatives to retain talent to Johnson County
- Three outreach meetings with local business per week
- Lead Education Industry Collaborative meetings
- Continue to collaborate with grant partners to collect project metrics
- Marketing - School to work efforts, chamber members (600 plus businesses)
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GOAL 2: Increase school/business vocational capacities leading to increases of gainful employment for people with disabilities.
SY 2022-23:
- Identify areas of challenge for each school in its efforts to access opportunities for student employment
- Assess and bolster transition curriculum, grades 6-12 at all partner schools
- Ensure the 18 employability skills are woven into school curriculum grades 6-12
- Train partners on proven inclusion and attraction strategies for diverse workforce development
- Create a culture that pulls students in rather than pushed by school districts
- Develop a talent attraction strategy
SY 2023-24:
- Working with local school transition leaders, identify ways in which the curriculum can expand to grade levels 3-5 in each of their respective districts.
- Identify a process by which students can demonstrate and advocate for themselves the skills they have acquired through their school experience
- Expand beyond employment to community engagement
- Identify former students who have graduated but are not employed
- Identify ways in which to involve parents
SY 2024-25:
- Explore datasets from Ball State, The National Longitudinal Transition Study, LADSE 504 Plan data, to further identify areas of need
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GOAL 3: Increase relationships between schools and disability support agencies (VR, transportation providers, etc, local community contractors for services).
SY 2022-23:
- Maintain an asset-based approach vs. deficit when thinking about people with disabilities and the world of work
- Collaboratively identify partner roles
- Partner with existing area VR vendors to help meet needs of this project (job coaches, transportation, etc.)
- Create a working chart to identify each partner that we could approach that would support this initiative
SY 2023-24:
- Explore options to become a vendor under the VR umbrella
- Partner with community businesses to provide job fairs opportunities, interviewing seminars, etc.
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GOAL 4: Identify and obtain further funding for project efforts, primarily focused on sustainability beyond the current grant cycle.
SY 2022-23:
- Explore and begin to apply for grant opportunities to maintain funding or bolster it beyond the grant cycle
- Identify national partners who may be interested in our model and ways to fund it
- Identify ways in which to maintain the positions we have as a result of the grant and expand into other areas that we were not able to due to budget constraints - Counselor, job developer, etc.
SY 2023-24:
- Finalize funding sources for future years of the project
- As project progresses, identify future needs and ways to fund them
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GOAL 5: Create a process that can be duplicated in other communities that increases gainful job opportunities for youth with disabilities.
SY 2022-23:
- Create a project plan (strategic plan of sorts)
- Create a sustainable national model
SY 2023-24:
- Share handbook resources with interested communities
- Sustainability relating to transition planning in elementary and middle school classrooms (Employability Standards)
- Develop empowerment strategies for students to run their own transition IEP conferences
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GOAL 6: Provide regular communication to stakeholders, community members and those who may be interested in joining this work through distinct PR strategies. This may include social media posts, press releases, newsletter articles, etc.
SY 2022-23:
- Calendar out social media opportunities for the year
- Celebrate student success as it relates to gainful employment
- Celebrate business success as it relates to employed individuals from local school districts
- Keep focus on both internal as well as external messaging
SY 2023-24:
- Calendar out social media opportunities for the year
- Present at professional conferences on this initiative
- Present to other Chambers and Economic Development Organizations across Indiana
SY 2024-25:
- Present at a national conference on our success!
- Create a sample communication plan for businesses
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Implementation Partners
B.A.S.E. partnering agencies and their key leaders:
Earlywood Educational Services
Dr. Angela Balsley, Executive Director
Kristie Wright, Community Employment Coordinator
Website: www.earlywood.orgAspire Economic Development + Chamber Alliance Christian Maslowski, President & CEO
Amanda Rubadue, Vice President of Economic Development
Jennifer Hollingshead, School to Work Specialist
Website: www.aspirejohnsoncounty.comJames Emmett & Company (JEC)
James Emmett, Founder & CEO
Carla Gaouette, Employer Services Vice President & Project Manager Website: www.jamesemmettandcompany.comImperative Leadership
Dr. Jay Arthur, Educational Consultant and CEO
Website: www.imperativeleadership.org
Information about Earlywood's Transition program
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Location
To allow easier access to community resources, transportation, The Transition Program will be housed at Custer Baker Intermediate School
101 West State Road 44. Franklin, IN 46131
The Transition Program will follow Franklin Community Schools Calendar and meals.
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Curriculum
Curriculum will include, but not be limited to:
- Charting the Life Course
- Life Centered Education- CEC
- Circles
- On the job training and work experiences
- Discovery Kits
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Placement Consideration
Placement will be determined by a Case Conference Committee in collaboration with Transition Program staff.
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Target Population
- 18-22 year olds who have completed 4 years on high school campus
- Working on life skills or seeking independent employment
- Able to perform prompt independent work tasks with multiple steps with minimal assistance
- Able to utilize public transportation without direct supervision after training
- Students eligible for Certificate of Completion
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Program Differentiation
While all programming will be individualized to meet student needs, the Transition Program will serve three main functions:
- Classroom Based Life Skills- Supporting students demonstrating a need for the majority of instruction to take place in the classroom setting.
- Community Navigation- Support for students working towards learning skills to navigate the community, access transportation and community resources. Support student volunteer opportunities to increase skill maintenance.
- Workforce Skills- Equipping students with the skills needed to obtain and maintain gainful employment opportunities.
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Length of Program
Based on Case Conference consideration, students are eligible to participate in the Transition program upon completion of their 4th year of high school until the end of the school year in which they turn 22.
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Inclement Weather Procedures
With the program housed at CBIS in Franklin the Transition students will follow the Franklin procedures for inclement weather.Communication with parents is a very important part of the process when the decision is made to delay or cancel classes. Here are ways to find out if school has been delayed or canceled.ParentSquare - An automated message is sent out as soon as a decision is made. If you are not receiving this phone call or if you need to change your contact information, please contact your specific building.Media outlets - Check any of these local media outlets: RTV 6, WISH-TV -8, MyINDY - TV channel 23, WTHR - TV13, WXIN - Fox 59, WTTV 4, as well as WKKG 101.5, QMIX 107.3, Korn Country 100.3, WCBK 102.3, and Z99.5 radio stations.District Website - Visit the district site, www.franklinschools.org. An announcement will be placed under the Headline section on the main page.Social Media - Follow @myfcs on Twitter or 'like' Franklin Community Schools on Facebook to receive the most up-to-date information on delays and closings.In the event of a two-hour delay, school will start two hours after the normal start time. This also means that the bus routes will run two hours after their normal start times.Home District vs Franklin:
If Franklin is open, but your home school corporation is delayed or closed, we expect Transition students to report to CBIS, when it is safe to do so. You may choose to transport or wait for the Access bus--they will most likely be running late, due to the weather. If CBIS is closed, the Transition program students will not report to the building. It will be an eLearning day. This information will be communicated by individual phone call/text from the Transition program staff.
eLearning:
This year we will be utilizing eLearning on days school is canceled due to inclement weather to allow our students an opportunity to continue learning without interruptions. Students may need to access Google Classroom to view student assignments, facilitate discussions, and submit work. All students have been practicing with Google Classroom accounts to access materials and assignments. Google Classroom may be supplemented with the materials in the included packet.
We understand that not all students have access to a device and/or the internet during the day due to individual situations, such as loss of internet due to inclement weather, multiple students at home with a single computer, available support during the workday, no internet provider at home, etc. Because of this, the same or similar assignments are shared in this packet. Please keep this packet at home to be used in the event of a closure. Students will have five school days to complete any assigned eLearning Day tasks and assignments and turn in the work.
Connecting to Staff during eLearning:
Teachers are required to post the agenda for eLearning Days by 9:00 a.m. and will be available from 9:00 a.m. until 2:30. Teachers will be responsible for letting students know of their availability during the eLearning Day and the method by how they can be contacted (email, Zoom, Google Meet, etc.).
If you have additional questions please contact Stephanie Lawless at slawless@earlywood.org.