Possibilitiesin Education and Training
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- NCCC Grows Iowa's Volunteer Force; Encourages Iowans with Disabilities to get Involved
- Transition to Work, to Higher Education ... in the Disability Resource Library
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NCCC Grows Iowa's Volunteer Force; Encourages Iowans with Disabilities to get Involved
On July 8, the town of Vinton, Iowa will be transformed by the arrival of 140 enthusiastic young volunteers. Ranging in age from 18-24, these young people will comprise the first class of the AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) North Central Region campus which opened in June on the grounds of the Iowa Braille and Sight Saving School.
A program of the Corporation for National and Community Service, NCCC is a full-time, team-based, 10-month residential national service program Based at one of five regional campuses across the country. Working in teams of 10 to 12, NCCC members respond to unmet needs that are identified by local and national nonprofit organizations and government agencies. Among other activities, members construct and rehabilitate low-income housing, tutor students, build and restore trails, and help communities prepare for and respond to disasters. Members receive a modest living allowance, health coverage, training, and student loan deferment. Those who complete their service qualify for an education award of up to $4,725 to pay for college or graduate school. Upon successful completion of their service, members receive a Segal AmeriCorps Education Award of up to $4,725 to pay for college or graduate school or to pay back qualified student loans.
“We’re very happy about our new home in Vinton,” said Angela Sarrels, NCCC North Central Region Community Relations Specialist. Sarrels continued, “To thank Senator Harkin and the people of Iowa for their support, all first-year service projects will serve Iowa communities. We’re also excited about recruiting people with disabilities to serve as NCCC members.”
NCCC is proving to be an excellent partner for Iowa’s new AmeriCorps Volunteer Inclusion Partnership (A VIP), a joint venture of the Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service and Center for Disabilities and Development designed to increase the number of individuals with disabilities participating in National Service. Sarrels played a key role in organizing a recent recruiting fair targeting individuals with disabilities, and was instrumental in the appointment of A VIP project director Mike Hoenig, an Iowan with a disability, to the NCCC Iowa Working Group. In return, Hoenig is providing consultation for NCCC Denver campus staff in accommodating a new member who is blind.
For more information about NCCC, contact Angela Sarrels at 319-472-9667 or asarrels@cns.gov.
Center for Disabilities and Development
Disability Resource Library:
A lending library and health information center for Iowans
phone:
800-272-7713 • email:
disability-library@uiowa.edu
• website:
http://www.medicine.uiowa.edu/uhs/drl
Tunnels and cliffs: A guide for workforce development practitioners and policymakers serving youth with mental health needs.
Podmostko, M. (2007). Washington, DC: National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth, Institute for Educational Leadership.Transition to Work, to Higher Education ... at the Disability Resource Library
#4078 [Loose-leaf training manual]
Adults who struggle with mental health issues are generally hard-pressed to find and keep good jobs. Indeed, the unemployment level of adults with serious mental illness is pegged at 90% by the President’s New Freedom Commission on Mental Health. To keep youth with mental health needs (ages 14-25) from careening into the same chasm, Tunnels and Cliffs was developed to delineate supports that enable youth to successfully navigate the transition to a meaningful livelihood. This document is also available online at: http://www.ncwd-youth.info/resources_&_Publications/short_Cuts/004.html.
Success at work: transitions to employment for individuals with learning disabilities and/or ADHD.
Eaton, H., Coull, L. (2003). Vancouver, BC: Eaton Coull Learning Group. Transitions series.
#4449 [DVD (closed captioned)] 56 min.
This DVD features six life stories from high school graduates with specific learning disabilities in transition to the workforce. They openly discuss the challenges they have faced and how they have attained success by nurturing a natural talent along with self-advocacy. The video ends with a simulation of how a young person with attention deficit disorder might learn compensatory skills to help him stay on task in a job he enjoys.
Asperger syndrome: transition to college and work.
Coulter, D. (2001). Hampton, NJ: Coulter Video. #3344 [Video] 57 min.
#3344 [Video] 57 min.
Drew Coulter, a young man with Asperger syndrome, explains how others on the autism spectrum can prepare for college or school-to-work transition. The jobs section includes information on making a good job match, how to approach employers, key workplace skills, disclosure issues and negotiating accommodations.
Colleges that change lives: 40 schools that will change the way you think about colleges.
Pope, L. (2006). New York: Penguin Books.
#2947 [Book] 382 p.
One step removed from cookie cutter directories for the college bound, this book encourages leisurely evaluation of 40 American campuses that just might inspire bright teens with disabilities to go to new academic heights.
Promoting self-determination in students with developmental disabilities.
Wehmeyer, M.L., [et.al.] (2007). New York: Guilford Press.
#4096 [Book] 206 p.
Self-determination is a familiar word in the disabilities lexicon. In this book you will find the components of decision making spelled out for young people in the classroom. What better place to instill lifetime skills of choice, goal setting, and self-advocacy? A great book for teachers, counselors, administrators, and transition support personnel.
Real work for real pay: inclusive employment for people with disabilities.
Wehman, P., [et al.] (2007). Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes Publishers.
#3933 [Book] 350 p
A detailed compendium on playing catch-up with the real world of employment from some of the best writers in the fields of workforce rehabilitation and human services. Topics include: self-advocacy, person-centered planning, workplace supports, behavioral supports, self-employment, organizational change, and much more.
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Education & Training Events
ICATER Assistive Technology Summer Institute
July 22-23, Iowa School for the Deaf, Council Bluffs, IA
This institute will address relevant assistive technology (AT) issues in education as well as specific use and implementation of AT through a unique blend of lectures, discussions, and hands-on experiences. For more information or to register, visit www.education.uiowa.edu/icater or contact Jim Stachowiak at 319-335-5280 or james-stachowiak@uiowa.edu.
2008 Iowa Ticket to Work Summit: Working Together so All Can Work
July 22, 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Scheman Center at ISU, Ames, IA
Join employment providers to learn about the new Ticket to Work under the Social Security Administration. This free conference, sponsored by Iowa’s Medicaid Infrastructure Grant, is open to Employment Networks, rehabilitation counselors, disability organizations interested in learning more about Ticket to Work or becoming an Employment Network, and other stakeholders in supported employment. Register by July 12 with mary.revoir@iwd.iowa.gov. Include participant names, county of work, agency, and phone.
11th International Fragile X Conference
July 23-27, 2008, Hyatt Regency at Union Station - St. Louis, MO
There’s something for everyone at this conference. Family-friendly sessions providing an overview of Fragile X syndrome, research findings relevant to various life domains, and genetic research are just a few highlights. Hosted by the Fragile X Resource Center of Missouri. For more information visit www.fragilex.org/html/2008conference.htm
Iowa College Leadership Forum
July 25-28, 2008, Iowa State University, Ames, IA
Intensive leadership training for college juniors and seniors and vocational/technical undergraduates with disabilities. Mentors with disabilities help make this a great experience for all! Visit http://www.state.ia.us/government/dhr/pd/index.html to register or learn more.
Iowa Empowerment Conference 2008: 10 Years Celebrating Empowerment & Recovery
August 5-7, 2008, Best Western Regency Inn, Marshalltown, IA
This conference is for individuals with chronic mental illness, families of children with severe emotional disorders, and transition age youth. For more information, call Deb at (641)753-7414 or e-mail dwilliams@adiis.net
29th Annual Summer School for Helping Professionals
August 11-14, 2008, Iowa Memorial Union, Iowa City, IA
Classes for community, agency, and education practitioners working with individuals, groups, families, and organizations. CEU’S available. For information, see: www.education.uiowa.edu/asshp/general_info.html.
Autism Journeys: Today, Tomorrow and Beyond
August 11-12, 2008, Milwaukee, WI
This conference is for families of children with autism and professionals who serve them. For more information, contact Mary Pick at (414)227-3312, mpick@uwm.edu, or visit www.sce-autism.uwm.edu
2008 National Conference on Disability Inclusion & National Service: Acting Today to Shape the Future.
October 16-18, 2008, Hilton Alexandria Mark Center, Alexandria, VA
This conference brings together the disability and national service communities to discuss strategies for successful participation of persons with disabilities in National Service programs-SeniorCorps, AmeriCorps, and Learn and Serve America. More information: http://www.serviceandinclusion.org
For more conference and training opportunities, see: Disability Training calendar.
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“What lies before us
and
what lies beyond us is tiny
compared to what lies within us.
”
-Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.
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How to get in touch with Possibilities:
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MAIL: Center for Disabilities and Development
100 Hawkins Dr. Rm.S376
Iowa City IA 52242-1011
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PHONE: 319-353-6448
EMAIL: michael-hoenig@uiowa.edu
FAX: 319-356-8284
POSSIBILITIES is funded in part through a grant from the Iowa Department of Human Services to support the activities of the Iowa Training Consortium. Possibilities is designed by Loretta Popp.
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To contact Disability Training
- Mail Office of Community Education, Center for Disabilities and Development, 100 Hawkins Drive, Iowa City IA 52242-1011
- Email information@DisabilityTraining.org
- Fax 319-356-8284
- Phone 319-353-6448
Center for Disabilities and Development
Iowa's University Center for Excellence on Disabilities
University of Iowa Health Care
Iowa City, Iowa 52242-1011