New Release: The Pathways to Partnership (P2P) Grant Offers Transition Based Lessons and Expanded Opportunities for Middle School Students with Disabilities
Polk School District (PSD) is excited to partner with Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency (GVRA) and Centers for Independent Living (CILs) to support students with disabilities and their families. The Pathways to Partnership (P2P) grant is focused on substantially improving training and preparation of children and youth with disabilities in Georgia to eventually obtain and maintain competitive integrated employment.
The grant provides exposure to career centered services, decreasing high school dropout rates, increasing exposure to vocational rehabilitation and post-secondary opportunities and increasing College and Career Ready Performance Index scores. The P2P grant offers PSD students access to a curriculum called “Pathway to Dreams”. This curriculum provides early intervention transition lessons for middle school students with disabilities. It is centered around empowering students with disabilities, with hand-on and interactive lessons tiered for grades 6th though 8th and differentiated to meet the unique learning needs of our students. Students connect weekly with GVRA and CILs instructors to learn about programming and opportunities in our local communication. Students will learn about Pre-Employment Transition Services to include Job Exploration, Post Secondary Opportunities and Counseling, Workplace Readiness Training, Work Based Learning and Self Advocacy.
The grant emphasizes the importance of parents and family. This partnership will offer connections to resources as well as parent information learning sessions. Our PSD Parent Mentor will work collaboratively with the P2P Family Liaison, Leigh Thrailkill to connect our families to these valuable resources and training opportunities.
Julie Moilanen, Chief Office of Academic and Behavior Supports shared, “Our theme this year is Whatever It Takes, Make It Happen. Georgia has a 25% drop out rate for students with disabilities. I am pleased to say that PSD is not near that rate, but when I look at the staggering numbers of students with disabilities who drop out of school in our state, we must do something about it. We owe it to our students and families to build strong partnerships with other agencies so we can work together to improve outcomes for our students. We want our students to continue to develop their literacy skills, strengthen their soft skills that will assist them in the workplace and make connections with agencies who can support them long after they leave our school system. We are thrilled to offer the P2P opportunities to our sixth through eighth grade students. I am convinced that by providing these valuable skills to our students at an earlier age, we will see positive results as they transition to high school and to their desired post-secondary opportunities.”
For more information you can visit the
. Feel free to call the Office of Exceptional Student Services to speak to our staff listed below. Our number is (770) 684-8718.
Ms. Nancy Woods, Exceptional Student Services Coordinator
Ms. Tracy Reynolds, Parent Mentor