Leveraging meaningful and competitive employment for people with  disabilities.

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

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)

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 

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.

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

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

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

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.org 

Aspire Economic Development + Chamber Alliance Christian Maslowski, President & CEO 
Amanda Rubadue, Vice President of Economic Development 
Jennifer Hollingshead, School to Work Specialist 
Website: www.aspirejohnsoncounty.com 

James Emmett & Company (JEC) 
James Emmett, Founder & CEO 
Carla Gaouette, Employer Services Vice President & Project Manager Website: www.jamesemmettandcompany.com 

Imperative Leadership 
Dr. Jay Arthur, Educational Consultant and CEO 
Website: www.imperativeleadership.org

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.