Transition Academy is a community based program that focuses on helping students with disabilities develop adult life and work skills. The participants are usually 18-21 years old. The program helps prepare them for life after high school and postsecondary careers. Some of the skills that they teach are self care skills as well as safety, communication and social, and basic life skills. In the end the main goal of the program is to have taught the students how to advocate for themselves and become responsible adults.
Some challenges that may be faced along the way are the fact that it is new and that can scare some people. It is also preparing students for a new and important part of their life, adulthood. It could also be challenging figuring out the basics as well as what people are comfortable with talking about. The results of the program could vary depending on the person it is being taught to because everyone learns differently.
It was brought to HAHS in 2018 to give some students the extra little push that they may need in order to become an employable, working citizen in his or her community. Mrs. Herber is the Transition Academy teacher/coordinator and is the one that organizes the exercises based on the students abilities. There are two paraprofessionals, Stephanie Russel and Michele Smith. They take the students into the community for more world experience. The program helps with so many different things and covers a wide range of important topics in a shortened amount of time while still making it enjoyable to learn.
