2024 High School High Tech Conference Highlights

The 2024 Annual High School High Tech (HSHT) Conference is a time for HSHT program coordinators to come together for professional development, networking and sharing best practices. HSHT Coordinators are invaluable to the success of our program and the annual conference provides an opportunity to focus on their HSHT programs and planning. This year, the conference was held in Jacksonville in conjunction with the Project Venture statewide competition.

Thank you to all our High School High Tech coordinators for your commitment to helping prepare students with disabilities for a successful future!

Congratulations to the High School High Tech coordinators for your efforts in each of the categories listed below.

Sarasota County High School High Tech, Career Preparatory Experiences
The Career Preparatory Experiences guidepost award for providing their students countless opportunities for experiences through mentoring, job shadowing and internships. This site sets up internships and career experiences with local manufactures.  

Polk County High School High Tech, School-Based Preparatory Experiences
The SchoolBased Preparatory Experiences guidepost award for utilizing a variety of career and personality assessments, helping their students meet their education goals. This site ensures that the students are placed in secondary courses and programs that will benefit their post-secondary goals.

Leon County High School High Tech, Family Involvement 
The Family Involvement guidepost awards for helping their student’s families get connected to services in the community. This site meets on the weekends, nights and even holidays supporting the students and their families. 

Orange County High School High Tech, Youth Leadership and Development
The Youth Leadership and Development guidepost award for putting students into ongoing volunteer opportunities to build skills, responsibility, and soft skills. This site is engaged in student leadership activities throughout the county.

Pinellas County High School High Tech, Connecting Activities
The Connecting Activities guidepost award for working to support their students’ need to be connected to programs, services, activities, and supports that help them gain access to chosen post-school options. This site connects the students to resources within the community. 

Broward County High School High Tech, Communications
The Communications guidepost award for working with their students on developing and honing their communication skills through written and verbal communication means getting the message across with less chance of misunderstanding.

Patti Langford, Donna Mundy Award of Distinction
In memory of Donna Mundy, our founder, friend, and mentor, the recipient of this award is given to an individual and or site that has established themselves as a leader among their peers and has demonstrated long-term success with the program. Many individuals and or sites fit this description, but none are more deserving than our recipient this year…an individual that has embraced the very core of the program and served hundreds of students over the years. 

Duval, St John’s & Clay County High School High Tech with The Arc Jacksonville, 2023 Program of the Year
This HSHT site received the Program of the Year award for their programmatic successes that include supporting their students’ academic success, providing numerous and varied career experiences, participating in The Able Trust HSHT initiatives, supporting the families of their students, and engaging members of their community to create new opportunities. This site also successfully connected with area businesses and families to ensure a high quality program for their students.