
PA Transition Tidbits
Updates and Events - July 2022
TRANSITION TIP: DID YOU KNOW?
Postsecondary Education and Training
For more information on resources to support postsecondary education and training, take a look at the toolkit below!
PARTNER SPOTLIGHT
Pennsylvania Youth Leadership Network (PYLN)
The mission of the Pennsylvania Youth Leadership Network is to coordinate a network that is led and driven by inclusive organizations of youth and young adults with and without disabilities across Pennsylvania. PYLN promotes advocacy, self-determination, leadership, empowerment, and service learning in the areas of transition, employment, education, and community engagement.
Learn more by visiting the PYLN Website.
Christian Huber
Christian Huber is a Music and Social Work major at Bucks County Community College. For the past two years, he was President of the school’s Disability Pride Club, where he discovered his passion for empowering others with disabilities. He fostered a safe and welcoming Zoom-based virtual club environment where he, along with other disabled students and their allies, authentically shared and discussed the impact their disabilities have on their lives. He hosted a variety of online events, including game nights, movie nights, open-mic nights, and interactive engagements with guest speakers, as he did with Speechless actor Micah Fowler and comedian and storyteller Pamela Schuller.
By becoming part of the Disability Pride Club, Christian is fortunate to learn about and participate in other activities and engagements in the disability community. He spoke at the Disability Pride Pennsylvania Intersectionality Conference alongside actor and advocate Andy Arias. As a member of the Disability Education and Advocacy Network (DEAN), he advocates for the teaching of disability history in all PA schools. Recently, he submitted written testimony as part of a hearing on House Bill 726 in the PA House Special Education Subcommittee. He also requested and received a proclamation from Governor Tom Wolf, which declared October 2021 “Disability Action Month.” He now works for the Pennsylvania Youth Leadership Network (PYLN), where he seeks to create a statewide youth group for youth and young adults of all abilities and help them with their journey of transition as part of the Transition Discoveries (TQEP) initiative. He has given speeches on youth empowerment and engagement to students, educators, school district officials, IU administrators, and panelists at various online engagements, including at the Pennsylvania Department of Education Special Education Advisory Panel (SEAP).
In addition to his disability advocacy, Christian’s mission is to help make the world a more accepting and compassionate place for all by helping others achieve personal and mental wellbeing. After reading the story of a young boy who died by suicide, he became involved with the Peyton Heart Project, a suicide prevention organization that works to spread hearts with encouraging, life-affirming messages around the world. To help keep the Project alive during the 2020 coronavirus pandemic, he created the first universally accessible virtual heart-making method for people of all abilities, now shown on the Project’s global website. He also worked with the Bucks County Suicide Prevention Taskforce to organize QPR Training for Bucks County Community College students and faculty and subsequently became a certified QPR Gatekeeper. Recently, he became a support group facilitator for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).
Zoe Small
Zoe is a Pennsylvania native and a graduate of Bryn Mawr College, where she studied Religion with a focus on gender and sexuality. Zoe is passionate about education, mentorship, and supporting youth in transition phases by connecting them to the resources they need to achieve their goals. At Bryn Mawr, she was active in shaping the First-Year Experience Program, which aims to help incoming freshmen adjust to collegiate life. After college, she relocated to Pittsburgh through the PULSE (Pittsburgh Urban Leadership Service Experience) program, where she completed a year-long service fellowship at the PEAL Center. She is now the Youth Training and Leadership Coordinator and covers the Western part of the state. She is especially focused on intersectionality and empowering youth to speak up and use their voice. In her free time, Zoe loves to sing and make music, read, and enjoy the outdoors.
RESOURCE SPOTLIGHT
Transition Resource Guide for Students with Disabilities
Transition to Post-Secondary Education
This website is designed to assist individuals with disabilities explore resources to support the transition to postsecondary education. There are tools to learn about accessibility, planning for the transition to postsecondary education, and researching different colleges and universities.
UPCOMING TRAININGS & CONFERENCES
The Nuts and Bolts of Job Coaching Online Course
The Nuts and Bolts of Job Coaching
Online Course
July 5, 2022 – August 15, 2022
This self-paced five module online course provides participants with relevant information regarding the role of a Job Coach to support students in community-based work settings.
Target Audience
Paraprofessionals, other support staff, teachers, transition coordinators, special education directors, or anyone interested in this topic.
Registration Information
Please register online by visiting the PaTTAN website at https://www.pattan.net/Events/On-line-Courses/Course-2985/Events/Session-36764
For registration questions, contact:
Kristen Olszyk, kolszyk@pattanpgh.net, 800-446-5607 x6848
For content related questions, contact: Kaylee Wynkoop, kwynkoop@pattanpgh.net, 800-446-5607 x6888
YOUTH HANGOUT OPPORTUNTIES: Pennsylvania Youth Leadership Network (PYLN)
CALLING ALL YOUTH!!!
Join the Pennsylvania Youth Leadership Network (PYLN) for fun and games at 7:00 p.m. on:
Thursday, July 14, 2022
2022 PA Community of Practice Transition Conference
Registration now Available!
Scholarships will be available for youth and families to attend!
In Person Attendees: The Penn Stater Hotel and Conference Center
Virtual Option Available!
PA SECONDARY TRANSITION EVENTS CALENDAR
National Technical Assistance Center on Transition: The Collaborative (NTACT:C)
Check out their Training Resource Library.
If you're new to transition, be sure to check out Transition 101!
This newsletter is brought to you by: The Pennsylvania Community on Transition
The Pennsylvania Community on Transition is a group of various stakeholders from across Pennsylvania who work collaboratively to ensure appropriate transition outcomes for Pennsylvania youth and young adults.
The Pennsylvania Community on Transition is a state leadership team consisting of representative from: the State Departments of Education, Health, Labor and Industry, and Human Services; Various Serving Agencies, Young Adults, Parent Organizations, Advocates, Higher Education, and Employers.
The shared vision and common goals of the Pennsylvania Community on Transition is achieved when all PA youth and young adults with disabilities:
- Successfully transition to the role of productive and participating adult citizens
- Are empowered to recognize their talents, strengths, and voice
- Have equal access to resources that will promote their full participation in the communities of their choice.
Email: pasecondarytransition@gmail.com
Website: https://www.pasecondarytransition.com/
Phone: 4128266878
Twitter: @hmangiskuntz