Welcome to School to Work

(Ages 18 - 21)

Program Coordinator: Susan Vaughan

Curriculum: Unique Curriculum and Expanded Core Curriculum for students with Visual Impairment (ECC).

Students in this program come from both the Overbrook School for the Blind’s High School Program and from traditional public school programs after completing 12th grade. This program teaches the skills students need to thrive in college, career, and their communities. The Mission of the School to Work Program is to prepare students to lead productive and satisfying adult lives.

The School to Work Program utilizes the Expanded Core Curriculum for the Visually Impaired (ECC), which covers instruction in the unique set of skills needed for students with blindness or visual impairments, such as compensatory skills including braille, independent living skills, orientation and mobility, social interaction skills, career education, recreation and leisure, assistive technology, sensory efficiency skills, and self-determination. These skills are essential for anyone with a visual impairment to be successful. The curriculum supports each student’s individual IEP goals and transition plans.

Students in the School to Work Program may take classes at a community college, distance learning classes, work in the community or on campus or focus on further developing skills in daily living including cooking, doing the dishes, cleaning an apartment, and doing laundry. Students take part in a variety of sensory experiences to assist them with understanding and navigating their environment as independently as possible. They may learn to travel to and from their home, how to travel within the community, to use community resources to purchase materials for class activities, go out to lunch, access recreational activities and improve their communication and social skills. Students have the opportunity to participate in sports and music programs with other visually impaired students. Athletes can even compete against students from other schools for the visually impaired along the East Coast.

In the School to Work Program, we partner with students, their families, school districts and other adult-based agencies to provide a complete education for every student.

Overbrook School for the Blind serves children who are blind, visually impaired, deafblind or visually impaired with additional disabilities in every program. Every student regardless of their ability level has an Individualized Educational Program (IEP) developed to meet their specific needs. Each program is aligned with the PA core standards and the Expanded Core Curriculum for students who are blind, visually impaired, deafblind or visually impaired with additional disabilities. Overbrook’s teachers are highly qualified Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments and our therapists have a wealth of experience and professional development working with students with visual impairments. Our cutting-edge educational programs use low and high tech assistive technology to support our students. Staff receives on-going professional development in all areas of visual impairment including Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI) as well as in other specialty areas, state-mandated training, and core subjects. Our staff shares their expertise presenting at state and national conferences.

For more information on the School to Work Program contact the Program Coordinator, Susan Vaughan.

More Information

Susan Vaughan, School to Work Program Coordinator, MS.Ed. in Education of the Visually Impaired, Certified in Mathematics 7-12, Special Education K-12, and TVI K-12, Supervisor Of Special Education

Vocational Experiences

The students receive hands-on job experiences on campus and in the community. Through these experiences, the students get to practice and build social skills, work ethic and can explore areas of interest. The students work in a variety of settings both on and off campus to gain work experience skills. Some of those include:

On Campus

Newspaper deliveries- various locations around campus
Recycling- picking up and sorting recycling from various locations around campus
Farm to Table- Selling fresh produce to students and staff on campus
Huskies Cafe- School to Work student-run Cafe specializing in smoothies, breakfast sandwiches, and other food items
Snack Bar- High School run establishment that sells snack to staff and students
Paw Print Shop- school store
Housekeeping
Foodservice

Off Campus

Coldstone Creamery
Lighthouse Cafe
Little Sunshine Cafe
Vision Corps
Munchies and More
Overbrook Pre-school
Local convenience stores
Many More

College Readiness

The students begin the process of planning for their futures starting in the Middle School program. As they progress through their academic career, some of the students take an interest in attending college. The teachers, specialist and other team members help support the students as they research requirements for college and what course of study they would be interested in. The students are encouraged to take a tour of a local community college as well as the entrance exam to see if college would be the best fit for them. Students also have the opportunity to enroll in college and start taking college classes while they are attending our school and the School to Work Program assists them every step of the way. Their teachers support them in identifying what accommodations they need for their class as well as how to finish assignments on time and organize their class schedule. The goal is to make sure the student is prepared for college and is able to advocate for their needs in a different learning environment.