Why HS/HT
In The News
Florida High School/High Tech State Director Wins National Award
April 4, 2008
The Able Trust's Donna Mundy Recognized for Outstanding Leadership to Help Improve Career Opportunities for Students with Disabilities
The Able Trust's Florida High School/High Tech State Director, Donna Mundy, was recently awarded the Division on Career Development and Transition (DCDT) Donn Brolin Award for State/Province Leadership and Services. The award was presented during the Council for Exceptional Children's National Conference in Boston on April 4th. This esteemed honor is given to an individual who has provided significant leadership and service in transition to a state.
Mundy is the State Director for the Florida High School/High Tech (HS/HT) program, a statewide program supported by The Able Trust that exposes students with disabilities to technology-based careers. HS/HT works to reduce the high school dropout rate of youth with disabilities and improve their participation in employment-related activities. Mundy was instrumental in expanding what began as a pilot project in Brevard County in 1996 with just six students. Today Florida HS/HT annually serves over 1,100 students in 37 project sites across the state. More than 100 Florida high schools are partners of Florida HS/HT, which has been shown to increase self esteem and reduce the drop out rate of students with disabilities. Florida HS/HT is recognized as a promising practice of the US Department of Labor, Office of Disability Employment Policy and thanks to Mundy's leadership, outreach and coordination, serves as a leader across the country for transition services for young adults with disabilities. Each year, nearly 95% of Florida HS/HT graduates enter post-secondary education or employment.
"Donna Mundy is a tremendous asset to The Able Trust and the students with disabilities who are served through High School/High Tech each year," said Dr. Susanne Homant, president and CEO of The Able Trust. "It's so important for young people to be given these kinds of opportunities to explore various career options. We are proud of Donna's leadership and passion for the program and happy to see her receive this well-deserved award."
The Division on Career Development and Transition (DCDT) is a national association that promotes efforts to improve the quality of and access to career/vocational and transition services for persons with disabilities. The award was named after Donn Brolin, a founding member and the first president of DCDT. Brolin was author of the Life Centered Career Education curriculum and was influential in the career development and early transition movement. Mundy was nominated for the Donn Brolin Award by representatives from Florida's Department of Education.
Bay Point Schools, Inc. in South Florida Shoots for the Stars with High School/High Tech
Spring 2007
(Left to Right) Don Chaney, BPS Executive Vice President Campus Operations Gerri Raines Dolan, BPS Executive Vice President Policies and Procedures; Cutler Bay Councilman, Ernest Sochin; Dr. Mary Louise Cole-Wood, Ph.D, Founder, President and CEO of Bay Point Schools; The Able Trust Board of Directors Chair, Bridget Pallango; Damon Griffiths, BPS HS/HT Program Coordinator & Bay Point Schools Director of Student Affairs and Livan Concepcion, BPS HS/HT Assistant Program Coordinator & BPS Transitions Director.
With the goal to continue to expand and support the Florida High School/ High Tech program, The Able Trust recently awarded $51,000 in grant funding to Bay Point Schools, Inc., in South Florida, to implement a Florida High School/High Tech (HS/HT) program. The newly establish HS/HT program at Bay Point Schools, Inc. will provide for 28 South Florida students to experience job shadowing, mentoring opportunities, corporate site visits, campus tours, service learning activities and summer internships. Cutler Bay Councilman, Ernest N. Sochin, was also in attendance at the presenting of grant funds to show his support of the partnership between the Florida HS/HT program and Bay Point Schools, Inc.
The Bay Point Schools, Inc. grant is made possible through a collaboration between The Able Trust and the Florida Department of Education Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR). Florida's Vocational Rehabilitation Program serves youth with disabilities transitioning from school to work and has partnered with the HS/HT initiative to meet the needs of these students.
"The Able Trust is proud to support Bay Point Schools, Inc. as it works to reduce the dropout rate, increase enrollment in college and improve participation in education, vocational and employment related activities among students with disabilities, " said Bridget Pallango, Chair of The Able Trust Board of Directors.
With more than 90 percent of Florida HS/HT graduates entering post-secondary education, vocational training or securing employment in 2007, the Florida HS/HT programs shows proven results year after year. Currently, the Florida HS/HT program serves nearly 1,000 students annually in 33 project sites statewide.
Providing educational vocational and therapeutic services to adjudicated teenage boys is the primary focus of Bay Point Schools - an alternative boarding school catering to teenage males who have engaged in anti-social behavior and criminal activity. The joining of these two organizations is destined to produce positive results. Indeed, Bay Point Schools was rated the best program of its kind in the state of Florida by the Juvenile Justice Accountability Board and has also reported that over 90% of its graduates to never commit another crime after leaving the program.
With a 36 percent national high school drop-out rate for youth with disabilities and an increase in the South Florida drop-out rate, partnerships like Bay Point Schools and the HS/HT program will indeed assist in decreasing the drop-out rate among South Florida's high school students with disabilities.
Marion Countys High School/High Tech Site Partners with CVS Pharmacy
Spring, 2006
During the spring of 2006, the U.S. Department of Labors Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) and CVS Pharmacy Government Programs initiated a pilot program to provide career exploration opportunities for youth and adults with significant disabilities. The Marion County Florida High School/High Tech (HS/HT) project site in Ocala was one of only five sites in the country selected for this opportunity.
Three Marion County HS/HT students had the opportunity to work in a CVS Pharmacy this summer. Each student completed a six-week paid summer internship while also gaining valuable work experience.One of the participating students landed a full-time position at CVS Pharmacy because of the successful internship placement.
Florida HS/HT is designed to provide high school students with all types of disabilities the opportunity to explore jobs or postsecondary education leading to technology- related careers. HS/HT links youth to a broad range of academic, career development and experiential resources and experiences that will enable them to meet the demands of the 21st century workforce.
High School/High Tech Student Realizing Dreams and Inspiring Others
March 19, 2006
TALLAHASSEE Austin Gleaton is not your average teenager. The 17-year-old, who is diagnosed with muscular dystrophy, was mentored by Florida Governor Jeb Bush, is featured in statewide radio announcements and has interned in various businesses around Tallahassee to help him decide which career to pursue after college. Its obvious Austin, who gets around in a lime green motorized wheelchair, hasnt let his disability stop him from achieving his goals or inspiring others.
Austin and his family credits the youth programs supported by The Able Trust with helping him build a pathway to success. Since beginning high school, Austin has participated in Disability Mentoring Day, the annual Youth Leadership Forum and hes been an active member of the High School/High Tech (HS/HT) program. All of the programs are coordinated in schools across the state by The Able Trust, also known as the Florida Governors Alliance for the Employment of Citizens with Disabilities.
Austin is a role model for other students with disabilities who may lack the confidence and motivation to look beyond their disability, said Sharon Griffith, president of The Able Trust. He has come in and taken full advantage of our youth programs to find resources in the community that enhance his life and lets him achieve his personal and professional goals.
For the past three years, Austin has been a leader on the HS/HT student board. The program is designed to help students with disabilities learn more about careers in the fields of science, engineering, mathematics and computer technology. Studies have shown this popular program helps students with disabilities pursue college, set solid career goals, and increase their self esteem.
Ive met a lot of friends through HS/HT, but Ive also seen a lot of career options for myself, Austin said.
Austin has received a lot of on the job training over the years through internships that were set up through the HS/HT program and Disability Mentoring Day, which is held nationally each October. Hes interned at Akin and Associates Architects, Inc. where he learned how buildings are designed and saw first hand the day-to-day activities of a successful architect.
The internship was a lot of fun, he said. They treated me like part of the team and I found it interesting how much work it takes to design buildings.
Hes also had paid summer internships working for Florida State Universitys User Services Help Desk and learning nonlinear editing at the WFSU Broadcast Center.
Despite the success of these internships, the young man is unsure of his ultimate career choice. But the Lincoln High School senior has already made plans for life after he graduates in May.
Austin will attend Tallahassee Community College this fall and later enroll into a four-year university. His major is undecided, but Austins experiences in various workplaces will help. Doors have opened for him in broadcasting, radio production, architecture, state government, technology and now NASCAR.
Austin is a huge sports fan. He watches ESPN regularly and plays sports video games often. If asked, he would tell you that his favorite sport is auto racing and that his favorite race car driver is Daytona 500 winner, Jimmie Johnson. Before Johnson won the most acclaimed NASCAR race this year, Austin aspired to meet him one day.
He did, thanks to his mother and the Make-A-Wish foundation.
When they called and told me I was picked I was very happy, he explained. I didnt start hollering until I hung up the phone because I didnt want to hurt the womans ears.
Last month, Austin and his mom flew to Atlanta to meet Johnson face-to-face at a NASCAR event. Out of all of his experiences, Austin says the trip was a dream come true.
Jimmie gave me a signed remote control car during my visit, he said. He picked it out from his own collection and gave it to me. The trip was the best thing thats ever happened to me, so far.
Dee Causseaux is very proud of her only son. She has watched his abilities grow, when his disability could have kept him confined. Their lifestyle is always on the go and she is there to help Austin live his extraordinary life.
Austin would not have accomplished all that he has without The Able Trust and the programs theyve created to help young people like my son reach for their goals in life, she said. The programs are handled on a personal level. Austin speaks up for himself and he tells people he needs to be accommodated. He has surpassed others in his position.
Hillsborough County High School Student Wins Statewide Award
The Able Trust’s Youth Program Participant Recognized for his Outstanding Leadership by the State of Florida
The Able Trust youth program participant, William “Drew” Davis, recently received the prestigious “Outstanding High School Student Award” for the State of Florida by The Florida Federation Division on Career Development and Transition (FFDCDT). The award was presented to Drew at the statewide Visions Conference in Kissimmee in February, where he received a $500 scholarship in addition to the award.
A senior at Newsome High School, Drew was nominated for the “Outstanding High School Student Award” for his demonstrated resolve, courage and determination to overcome his disabilities and to be successful in school and in the community. Drew was born with Goldenhar Syndrome and has faced more medical challenges in his 18 years than others may ever experience in a lifetime.
Drew was born with a cleft lip and palette, and is deaf in one ear. He has undergone 44 surgeries. In 2005 he underwent 30 hours of surgery to correct his jaw. Last year he had nose surgery and was quickly is up and active again. His mom says he’s a fighter, a survivor. “It’s amazing how quickly he bounces back,” said Sandy Davis.
These challenges, however, have not stopped Drew from pursuing his dreams and having incredible enthusiasm and a tremendous spirit while doing so. Drew is a member of The Able Trust’s Florida High School/High Tech (HS/HT) program at Newsome High School, a statewide career development program that helps more than 1,100 students with disabilities pursue college and careers in the science and technology industry. He puts the skills he learns through HS/HT to work each day, serving on the school’s TV production team and announcing for their morning show. He is also a community leader, serving on his local church’s Technology Team and volunteering with the church youth group as well as local charity efforts such as the American Cancer Society’s “Relay for Life” .
For the past two years Drew has also been selected to participate in The Able Trust’s Florida Youth Leadership Forum, first as a delegate in 2006 and last year to return as a Junior Staff volunteer. As a result of his involvement The Able Trust’s youth programs, Drew has received several invitations to speak to local and statewide organizations about his leadership and self-advocacy skills, as well as his future career plans.
“I was really excited about receiving this award,” said Drew. “I could not have gotten where I am today without my family, friends, teachers, and the many doctors who have taken care of me over the years. I thank God everyday that I am alive, because my parents were told 3 months before I was born that I would not make it to delivery, and if I did, would not live but a few hours....and this past December I turned 19!”
Drew wants to study television production for two years at a community college and go on to a university, or into a medically-related field. His vision for the future is wide-open right now, and he will see where it takes him.
“Despite my disability, I’m able to do everything I want to in life,” Drew says. His mom, Sandy, interjects, “He has made such an impact on our whole family – I don’t think anything can hold him back now.”
The Florida Federation Division on Career Development and Transition (FFDCDT) annually awards an outstanding high school senior with disabilities who will be graduating and entering into postsecondary education or training, the military, or a job and who will benefit from his award. This person must exemplify the values of tenacity, caring, and a belief in their ability to succeed and show involvement beyond the usual circle of a student’s life. FFDCDT is a statewide association organized to promote career development of individuals with exceptionalities in order to bring about effective programs of career awareness, career exploration, career preparation, and transition from school to work and community living for these individuals from early childhood through adulthood and to encourage and promote professional growth, research, legislation, and dissemination of information among Florida individuals and organizations concerned with and involved in career development and transition of people with exceptionalities.
Read about Drew on Tampa Bay Channel 10
Read about Drew in his hometown paper [PDF]
Friendship and Hard Work Takes Able Trust Students to National Competition
On May 1, 2008, two of The Able Trust’s Florida High School/High Tech students will have the opportunity of lifetime when they compete in the 2008 Vex Robotics World Championship at California State University in Northridge. Cameron & Cody are part of a winning FIRST ROBOTICS competition team from Palm Bay High School in Melbourne. Their story of teamwork, however, goes beyond the classroom or robotics competitions.
Cameron & Cody have a special relationship where each helps the other overcome the challenge of his disability. Cameron is hearing impaired and Cody is sight impaired. Cameron is the eyes for Cody, helping him see what is needed to create his unique robotic design. Cody is the ears, helping explain what is needed to get the job done. Because of their outstanding teamwork, Cameron & Cody’s robotic drive system, with their team of solely HS/HT students, were awarded the “Amaze” award from FIRST, which is given to teams who have overcome barriers or had unique robotic designs.
Cameron & Cody will travel to California to take part in this exciting competition that will feature teams from China, England, Canada and more. This incredible opportunity is made possible by the Bobbie Bailey Foundation. Special Thanks to her support which will help a dream come true for these students, and future competitors from The Able Trust’s Florida High School/High Tech statewide program.
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