[photo:Jackie Smith (left) and her mother, Joan, were at a recent New Trier High School board of education meeting to talk about the New Trier Transition Program, which is designed for New Trier High School students, aged 18-21 years old, with moderate to severe disabilities who require additional instruction to achieve post-high school goals. Jackie is in the program. (Brian Cox, handout / November 25, 2013)]
Sometimes success can be measured by making yourself breakfast or buying a cup of coffee.
That could be the motto of the New Trier Transition Program, which is designed for New Trier High School students, ages 18-21 years old, with moderate to severe disabilities who require additional instruction to achieve post-high school goals. The program was launched in 2009 and the New Trier High School board of education recently received an update on it from two instructors.
"We are the last step for our students before they enter the real world," said instructor Kari Viano, who also mentioned an open house on Friday, Dec. 6 from 9:30 to 11 a.m. in room 266 on the Winnetka campus. Students will talk about the program and give tours of the classrooms.
Most of the students attended the Education and Life Skills classrooms for their four years at New Trier. They are provided with community-based, functional, real-world curricula focused on enhancing independence and vocational skills, Viano said. She said students can attend through the day before their 22nd birthday.
When it started, the program had one teacher, four assistants and seven students. It now has 31 students ages 18-21, 15 instructional assistants/job coaches and two classroom teachers, all on the Winnetka campus.
Jackie Smith, 19, from Winnetka, has been in the program for a year and she told board members how much she has benefited from it.
"I feel positive about the work I do," Smith said.
And so does her mother, Joan Smith.
"What we want is independence," she said. "We want them to hopefully have purposeful employment and have a full life."
"Some of the ways to get there are unknown so it's a great program to have in our community. We feel very lucky to have this team of people that Jackie's involved with every single day," Joan Smith said. "She's very happy to go to school. She tells me every day how much she loves the program and loves being part of it. That's a real important piece. The work is hard but she's willing to do the hard work with the support of the people."
There are four main focus areas including life, vocational, social and communication skills. All students participate in daily community job training opportunities, and the Life Skills curriculum covers monthly topics that rotate through a three-year cycle. In addition, one of the classrooms has a kitchen attached where students are taught how to make breakfast. They are also urged to join a local health club and are taught how to buy coffee at Starbucks.
"Our students work out in a real gym," Viano said. "That's what adults do."
The students are offered vocational training at local businesses including The Winnetka Thrift Store, The Sheraton Hotel, Body Science, Walgreens, the Winnetka Ice Rink, Treasure Island Foods, the Wilmette Library and the Holocaust Museum, among a slew of others.
Viano said the Transition Program is partly funded through state and federal monies, but the school also has to contribute.
"In the past it was very hard for me, but I got over it and I've changed a lot, and I'm now almost 20 years old," said Jackie Smith. "I'm very independent, and I love my family for supporting me and telling me I have a bright future ahead of me."
Chicago Tribune Nov 25, 2013
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