Project Bridge
Sioux City, Iowa
Contact
Mehda Johnson
Transition Coordinator
Area Education Agency 12
Western Hills Area Education Agency
1520 Morningside Avenue
Sioux City, Iowa 51106-1780
Phone: 712-274-6000x6031
Fax: 712-274-6115
E-mail: johnsonm@aea12.k12.ia.us
Mission
Project Bridge provides services to students with disabilities who without these services will fall through the cracks in education and adult service programs.
Project Bridge engages students to participate in activities designed to ease transition to adult living and working, ensures their employment in integrated work settings, and increases skill development in their chosen career to result in continuous employment. Students have the opportunity to learn independent living and social skills necessary to live and learn at individual ability with natural and public supports.
Organization
Organization Type: Education Agency: State, Local, School and Rehabilitation Agency: State, Local
Geographical Area: County
Primary Setting: Community-based training site, high school, resource room, self-contained class in public school, competitive employment worksite
Funding: External funding source: Department of Education, Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services - Title 1
Consumers
Target Population: Youth who have dropped out of school with disabilities, postsecondary education students with disabilities, secondary education students with disabilities, community service providers, parents, business people or employer, other youth at-risk of dropping out
Disability Areas: All disabilities
NTA Framework Categories
Description
Project Bridge is a sponsored effort between the Iowa Department of Education, Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services, and Area Education Agency 12. The emphasis of Project Bridge is to provide services to students with disabilities that are not provided through the school or rehabilitation services. This is a new pattern of service, which offers to identify students who may be referred and benefit from rehabilitation services. It provides functional vocational assessments to identify individual strengths and weaknesses; career exploration through a variety of interest inventories and computerized career options; job shadowing and other school-to-work initiatives; as well as assessments on reasonable job matches, skills needed to perform the job and observations of individual abilities to acquire skills.
Youth are linked up with other service providers in the community that enhance job opportunities in the same or adjoining communities. Job site mentors are assigned to youth to provide natural supports as well as teaching the written and unwritten policies of the worksites. Remedial services are offered to students within academic areas related to job of choice. Soft skills related to sustaining living and work in the community are provided in a teaching atmosphere, preferably in a real living or work setting.
These services are provided to 24 schools in six counties within the state of Iowa. The response to Project Bridge since its inception in January 1998 has increased from 25 students to 100 students.
Evidence of Success
Success Story
"R" attended school in a small rural town. As for many students with a learning disability, the classroom was not where he excelled most. Classes were difficult, and there was a question as to how he would succeed in the "real world." However, he had the basic tools to become a great employee. "R" is a good worker, is kind to everyone, tries as hard as he can, and has a positive attitude. During his time in high school he job shadowed at several businesses. These were all good experiences; however, for some reason or another they did not work into a full-time position. Then "R" applied at a nursing and rehabilitation center over a year ago and to this day he is still employed there.
"R" works in the laundry room, washing, drying, and folding at least nine (huge!) loads of clothes five days a week or more. The feeling of bringing in his own income is very important to him. Since he started the job, he has received benefits, earned a 50-cent raise, and his duties have increased to doing some janitorial work, which he also enjoys. On the side, he chops and sells his own firewood. He also wanted me to get the word out that he is available to help anyone looking to move to a new house for 40 dollars a truckload.
"R" hasn't come all this way by himself. He has supportive parents and a supervisor who has been very generous. Project Bridge has also been a good support for "R." We have seen him grow and develop life skills that will be forever useful.
Updated 10/31/00