PA Transition Tidbits
Updates and Events - January 2023
Summer Opportunities for Youth
2023 Summer Academy for High School Students who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing
OVR is now accepting applications for the PA Office of Vocational Rehabilitation's 2023 Summer Academy for High School Students who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing. The 2023 Deaf and Hard of Hearing Summer Academy is an in-person, overnight program that will be held at Penn State University Main Campus in State College, PA. This program is created in partnership with L&I's Office for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (ODHH), and the Department of Education's Bureau of Special Education's Pennsylvania Teaching and Technical Assistance Network (PaTTAN).
You can learn more information by clicking here to access the application.
Or, you may also reach out to Russ Goddard, VR Specialist, rgoddard@pa.gov
2023 Summer Academy for Students Who are Blind or Visually Impaired
Access the program application by clicking this live link.
*For additional program information, please contact Grace Fontanez at814-949-7954 or grfontanez@pa.gov
2023 State Employment Internship Program
Experience PA state employment through a 10-week, paid internship providing opportunities for you to develop your career interests and goals with hands-on, rewarding work. Opportunities are available with various state agencies in the Harrisburg, Johnstown, Pittsburgh, and Philadelphia regions.
For more information, contact your OVR Counselor or visit: www.employment.pa.gov
NEWS
ED Updates: Expect, Engage, and Empower: Successful Transitions for All!
In support of Secretary Cardona’s mission to improve equity across our nation’s schools, Director Williams is pleased to announce a new initiative to improve postsecondary outcomes for students with disabilities — Expect, Engage, and Empower: Successful Transitions for All!
This initiative will challenge the field to join OSEP to raise expectations, engage families earlier, and empower all who support transition services to measurably and significantly improve postsecondary outcomes for children and youth with disabilities and their families. Every family that has an infant, child, or youth identified with a disability must be exposed to high expectations from day one. In order for improvement to occur three things must happen:
- the education and vocational rehabilitation systems must work together,
- critical discussions about the future and transition planning process must start sooner, and
- ALL students with disabilities should have the opportunity to learn about all post-secondary opportunities and make the best choice for themselves.
OSEP believes that systems should be prepared to make their vision a reality by providing information about any needed support services, and proactively address needs.
Save the Date Event Details
- When: TBD, Winter 2023
- Where: Virtual
- Who: While the initiative is grounded in secondary transition, the planning can begin at a very young age. Therefore, all OSEP grantees from the IDEA Part B and C communities are invited and encouraged to attend.
TRANSITION TIP: DID YOU KNOW?
RESOURCE SPOTLIGHT
New Resource: Let's Introduce You to the IEP Team
Have you ever wondered who should be at an IEP meeting? Or, why someone was at the IEP meeting? Or, whether someone else should be at the IEP meeting? Or how to help a student, family, or school personnel understand those things?
Check out this new series of short, animated videos that explains the many people who can, or should be, part of the meeting. Two new videos are released each week until the series is complete. Follow PaTTAN on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn to see the new releases or check out this YouTube playlist to see them all!
These videos can be used as an introduction and way to provide information to families, youth, and professionals about the IEP team members. They can be sent out with a photo and contact information of the person from your school that fulfills that role. They can be added to presentations when seeing who is in the crowd. They can be used at career fairs, looped on media/monitors, or in job exploration meetings. Each animation is less than 3 minutes long and is easy to add as an icebreaker or check out point. Don't miss the Student Video that is coming soon - they are the focus of the team! If the student with the IEP can explain who is coming, what that person can contribute, and why they should be there, then the student understands the IEP team. These videos can help support that learning and the building of an effective IEP team for the student.
Youth, Disclosure, and the Workplace Why, When, What, and How
New, Open Access Journal – Transition in Practice
Looking for a way to stay up to date on the latest Transition research?
Transition in Practice, a new open-access, peer-reviewed journal from the Zarrow Institute and DCDT, is issuing a call for manuscripts. The journal features the latest on research-based instructional strategies, procedures, and techniques to prepare special education teachers and students. Review the About the Journal page and the Author Guidelines page for more information.
National Technical Assistance Center on Transition: The Collaborative (NTACT:C)
Are you looking to learn more information about transition?
Check out their Training Resource Library.
If you're new to transition, be sure to check out Transition 101!
INPUT NEEDED
Use this link to complete the survey: https://bit.ly/pattanlitforall
UPCOMING TRAININGS & CONFERENCES
PA SECONDARY TRANSITION EVENTS CALENDAR
Are you looking for transition events across PA?
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