President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities High School/High Tech Establishing a Program to Promote Science, Engineering, and Technology Careers for People with Disabilities Table of Contents About High School/High Tech 5 What Is High School/High Tech? 6 The History of High School/High Tech 8 Bringing High School/High Tech to Your Area: Effective Program Replication 10 Community Involvement 11 Recruiting Groups 12 Local Businesses and Corporations 12 The Educational System 13 School District 13 Higher Education 13 Professionals 14 Developing a Strong Planning Committee 15 Funding the Program 16 Nonprofit Status 16 Staffing, Fund-raising, and Budgeting 17 Staffing 17 Leadership 17 Paid Staff 17 Fund-raising 18 Budgeting 19 Sample Budget 20 Student Recruitment 21 Programming 22 Accommodations 22 Planning an Event--A Checklist 23 Workshop Content 25 Workshop Format 25 College and University Opportunities 25 College Skills and SAT Preparation 25 Careers of the Future 26 Hints for Making Presentations to Students 26 Workshop Logistics 27 Workshop Content 30 Workshop A: Goal Setting 30 Workshop B: Study Skills/Super Learning/SAT Preparation 32 Workshop C: College Opportunities 33 Workshop D: Careers for the Future 35 Workshop E: Math-Magic 36 Workshop F: Computer Literacy 38 Site Visits 40 Site Visit Logistics 40 Industry Site Visits 41 Museum or Laboratory Site Visits 41 Special Events 42 Summer Seminars 43 Written Communication Skills 45 Computer Graphics 46 Inventors Project 46 Summer Session Individual Research Project "Getting to Know a Corporation" 47 Oral Communication Skills 47 Debate: Is College Worth It? 48 Prospectus 48 Careers Investigation 48 College Life 49 Computer/Math Literacy 49 Summer Employment 51 Getting Started 52 Appendix A--Sample Letter Appendix B A Sample Agenda for the First Planning Committee Meeting Appendix C--Examples of Student Questions College Questions Career Workshop Questions Shadowing Experience About High School/High Tech This manual is designed to provide educators, corporations, and community-based organizations with the tools necessary to plan and implement a High School/High Tech program. High School/High Tech is an enrichment program for students with disabilities that allows them to explore careers in science, engineering, and technology. If students discover an aptitude for such a career, they can make decisions about further education and training. High School/High Tech outlines the process of proposing and starting a program, and gives suggestions on networking with various types of community members who are essential to its success. The manual offers advice on funding, budgeting, and staffing based upon the collective experience of High School/High Tech project directors. It leads you through the logistics of workshops and site visits. Please feel free to reproduce material and make any changes appropriate for your program. The information in this manual should help to successfully launch your program, but expect the need for further consultation when implementing it. The President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities can provide technical assistance. Call or write: High School/High Tech President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities 1331 F Street, NW, Third Floor Washington, DC 20004-1107 Phone: (202) 376-6200 TDD: (202) 376-6205 Fax: (202) 376-6219 What Is High School/High Tech? High School/High Tech is a project promoted by the Employer Committee of the President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities. On a national level, it is co-sponsored by the President's Committee, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the National Alliance of Business, and the Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation. The purpose of the High School/High Tech program is to provide youth with disabilities exposure to promising science, engineering, and technology-related careers. Students should be introduced to these fields early in their education so they can adjust their educational goals appropriately. High School/High Tech begins with a community-based partnership usually consisting of parents, educators, rehabilitation professionals, business representatives, and others interested in the educational welfare of young people with disabilities. This coalition of local interests describes, organizes, and provides possible career paths in high tech occupations. The program model is flexible so that it can be designed to meet local community needs. It provides career education and other educational enrichment opportunities for students with disabilities which enable them to make appropriate career choices. High School/High Tech's goals are: to provide students with disabilities with the opportunity to identify their interests and potential skills in the sciences and technology; to assist students interested in science, engineering, and other technology-related careers with appropriate career planning, including counseling on colleges and degrees in their chosen fields; to help students with disabilities become independent, productive members of the workforce of the 21st century, and to provide employers in the science and technology fields with a new resource for qualified workers. A secondary goal of the program is to help parents, educators, and professionals in science, engineering, and technology-related fields to better understand assistive technology and the accommodation needs of persons with disabilities. A typical High School/High Tech Program incorporates a mix of learning experiences that broaden the educational horizons of the students. Program activities may include: Site visits--including laboratories, manufacturing plants, and high tech offices; Mentoring--professionals serving as career advisors and role models to students; Shadowing--students spending time observing professionals at work; Guest speakers--professionals speaking to student groups about their work; School activities--students working on science and technology-related projects; Summer seminars--students participating in a variety of science, engineering, and technology-related classes and activities, usually in a university-based setting, and Employment--summer and part-time employment opportunities that provide on-the-job experiences in scientific and technology-related fields. These high-yield activities help the students determine their interest in, and aptitude for, a variety of careers. The benefits are threefold: Students have opportunities to investigate employment avenues that might not otherwise be available to them. Participating companies have cultivated potential employees. The community sees increased employment opportunities for people with disabilities. The History of High School/High Tech In 1983, a task force of executives from high tech and other companies in the Los Angeles area met to explore ways to improve their companies' recruitment efforts to find the talent necessary to maintain their competitive positions in the national and global marketplaces. The task force consisted of: Atlantic Richfield Company; Avery International; Bank of America; Carnation Company; Carter Hawley Hale Stores, Inc.; Crocker Bank; First Interstate Bank; Hughes Aircraft Company; IBM Corporation; Northrop Corporation; Security Pacific Bank; Times Mirror Foundation; Union Bank; Union Oil Company of California, and Xerox Corporation. These executives agreed that finding qualified employees able to handle high tech jobs was a top priority. They also acknowledged that people with disabilities have proven to be loyal, highly productive, and dependable employees. Finally, they recognized that the relatively minor costs of adapting the workplace for workers with disabilities is a good investment in human resources. However, when the task force members looked at the pool of eligible workers with disabilities, they discovered that few had the education and training to qualify for high tech jobs. They realized that in order to build a technologically trained workforce that included people with disabilities, their companies would have to reach out to students at an early stage in their education. With the leadership of the task force and the support of the Los Angeles Unified School District, America's first intervention program designed specifically to promote science and technology among young people with disabilities was established. High School/High Tech offers employers a potential new source of able, enthusiastic, and well-trained employees to fill tomorrow's science and technology-related jobs. It offers parents the hope that their children can become independent, productive adults, and it offers the participating students the opportunity to explore professional options based on their abilities, not disabilities. There currently are five High School/High Tech programs operating in various communities. The original program, which is in the Los Angeles Unified School District, is operated by The Foundation on Employment and Disability, Inc. (TFED), a nonprofit organization, since 1984. This program serves approximately 300 students a year. In the South Bay area, outside of Los Angeles, TFED operates another program that serves approximately 150 students each year. In Huntsville, Alabama, the Future Assets, Student Talent (F.A.S.T.) program serves approximately 40 students, ranging from middle school to college, each year. This program has had ongoing corporate support, and has received financial support through the United Givers Fund and NASA. F.A.S.T. has formed a nonprofit corporation for fund-raising purposes. The Prince George's County, Maryland program was recently reestablished with grants from NASA, the Prince George's Private Industry Council, Inc., and United Cerebral Palsy of Prince George's and Montgomery Counties. The program has an annual service capacity of approximately 130 students. The TECH-LINK project in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, our newest program, was started with a combination of corporate support and foundation funding and currently serves approximately 30 students a year. Each program responds to the unique needs of the community. The Los Angeles/South Bay Project, for example, uses High School/High Tech activities to equip students with the tools to make educational and career choices and find employment--independently. Direct job placement is not emphasized. However, Pittsburgh's TECH-LINK program and the Prince George's County program have found that students benefit from entry level summer employment experiences. The F.A.S.T. program has emphasized various career-related workshops, shadowing experiences, and mentoring relationships for its students. Many of F.A.S.T.'s former participants now serve as mentors for the current group of young people. TECH-LINK's program has also cultivated strong parental support and involvement, and offers students and their families seminars on school-to-work transition and strategies for adapting to college life. In conclusion, each of these High School/High Tech projects has utilized a variety of activities to carry out their respective programs. However, each has the same mission--to help students achieve professional careers. Bringing High School/High Tech to Your Area: Effective Program Replication Do not think that there is only one way to start a High School/High Tech program in your community.1 Careful planning is essential, as are attention to training, quality control, and community needs. As you assemble your collective vision of what High School/High Tech should be, consider these elements of effective replication: * Identify champions. Champions are individuals who believe in High School/High Tech, who can take charge of and guide the replicated program. Ideally, there should be at least one individual from each of the principal groups involved in the program. These individuals should come from local businesses and corporations, elementary and secondary educational systems, professionals and executives, and postsecondary education, including four-year colleges and technical colleges. Try to find champions in the local communities. These individuals should have solid knowledge of their community and a highly developed understanding of the principles and goals of High School/High Tech. They should be comfortable with managing the logistics of the program, as well as persuasive in presenting the program to the public, government, business, other entities, and individuals. * Focus on process, not just program implementation. In order for High School/High Tech to work, everyone should "buy in" to its merits. Companies, other organizations, students, parents, and educators will view the High School/High Tech concept differently. Convince each segment of the community of the overall worth of the program, and at the same time illustrate the benefits to each group. * Always think about sustainability. Work on building strong coalitions and maintaining community support from the very start. Develop mutually supportive, information-sharing relationships with supporting companies and organizations that go beyond money. Also cultivate ongoing communication networks and relationships. The more people who know about your work, the better it will be when it comes time for the program to "stand alone." 1 Denise Caignon, et. al. Creating Change: Strategies for Program Replication and Transfer Conference Highlights, September 9-11, 1993, Washington, DC, pp. 4-7. The entire section on replication was summarized and adapted from this paper. * Define the appropriate role for foundations. If your program has support from a local foundation, how long will it be interested in the project? Generally, duration of funding support is three years or less, but other forms of support--such as in-kind donations and volunteer involvement--can be sustained over longer periods. * Define your public relations strategy. Identify your audiences and develop a message appropriate to each. Package your story in human terms--featuring personal anecdotes rather than global statistics--and cultivate the interest of a local newspaper, television, or radio station in covering the story. * Evaluate existing programs. What seems to be working and what needs to be modified? Which program elements should be replicated or adapted, and what new elements should be incorporated? Consider the program participants and sponsors as customers, and regularly solicit feedback on their level of satisfaction. Involve them in taking stock of the program's overall achievements. Now let us turn to the various groups who will play important roles in the success of your High School/High Tech program. Community Involvement High School/High Tech can bring together many elements of the community, including businesses and schools. Through the commitment and cooperation of the participating groups, it can be a "win-win" program for all involved. No matter how many of you are interested in starting a program, remember that an important key to success is to build a broad-based coalition of sponsors and participants. There are four initial groups that you will want to target: * local businesses and corporations; * elementary and secondary educational systems; * professionals and executives with and without disabilities, and * postsecondary education, including four-year colleges and technical colleges. The first step is to get at least one representative from each group to serve on your planning committee. This task is somewhat different for each group and will be described in more detail. For each group you may want to stress the planning aspect, rather than a long-term commitment. Initially, at least, people are more apt to participate in something which does not demand long periods of time or large amounts of money. Once they become actively involved in the project, and as success of the program begins to spread, these individuals may be more willing to contribute their time and resources over the longer term. Recruiting Groups Local Businesses and Corporations Identify the major high tech businesses in your community, such as banks and engineering, electronic, and computer firms--all of which utilize sophisticated systems in their work. Other possibilities include firms in the biotechnological, biomedical, and medical fields. You may also want to approach chambers of commerce, private industry councils, and business advisory groups. Do not rule out any one company because of their minimal involvement in community affairs in the past. High School/High Tech may be just the program to attract them. Fostering contacts is very important. Plan to meet with representatives of nonprofit groups in the community that serve people with disabilities. Ask them about companies who have been supportive of their efforts. One caveat: Be clear about the goals of High School/High Tech so that you do not appear to be invading their territory. Ask for their support, and be willing to learn from them and to help them in ways that you can. Now that you have a list of target companies, attempt to get at least one or more company representatives to be a part of your planning group. Representatives from respected business firms lend credibility to your efforts. These businesspersons may be able to identify contacts in other companies. Corporate representatives know how businesses operate, and can offer suggestions for developing a program which will be acceptable by business standards. To secure corporate involvement, you should be able to articulate the goals of the program clearly, state why the program is beneficial to business, and make clear that you only seek the counsel of an industry "insider" to act as liaison to the planning committee. Here are some ways to increase the likelihood of finding the right people: * When talking to staff from disability-related organizations, ask where their industry liaisons are placed within the various departments. This can give you an idea of where to start in a given company. * Identify and contact people who work in corporate community or public affairs, recruitment, human resource, equal employment opportunity, employee relations, or personnel departments. These are the departments most likely to become involved in programs like High School/High Tech. As you build your network, keep in mind that your objective is to get at least one or more persons to act as industry liaisons to your planning committee. Do not get caught up with ideas that are more appropriate for later stages of the program, such as fund-raising or site visits. For now, you are in the planning stage. The Educational System For High School/High Tech, the two critical tiers of the local educational systems are the school district and institutions of higher education. School District As with business, you will need to find a school liaison--someone with access to key people in the educational hierarchy. Begin by contacting the superintendent or board chair's office. The liaison should understand special education and the process of mainstreaming students with disabilities to regular classes. Explain the program and ask for a school representative on the planning committee. An administrator may fill this role best, since you will need the school's input on program administration. A contact in the upper echelon of the school district's administration could help move the process along for you. The importance of the school district representatives cannot be underestimated. They can identify students with disabilities who can participate in the program, and they can help with transportation considerations, which will be discussed later. Higher Education Depending on your community, the system of higher education can include junior or community colleges or a vast network of state and private colleges or universities. Regardless of your particular circumstances, representatives from one or more of these institutions are vital when developing a High School/High Tech program. Resources from higher education include: * College students with disabilities are valuable as mentors, counselors, and role models to the high school students involved. * Campus facilities are valuable for the workshops and summer sessions, which are described in a later section. The following are three of many different ways to gain access to the college population: * Disabled Student Services Office. College students with disabilities can be assets to your program. They may have a strong interest in making the program work. College students may act as volunteers at workshops, or may serve as the liaisons between the college and High School/High Tech. * School Relations or Activities Offices. One or both of these offices may be willing to coordinate on-campus activities and provide the services. They may even help to contact other campus offices when their services are needed during "career days." * Counseling Office. The school counseling office may also know of people interested in this program. Representatives of school districts and postsecondary educational institutions can provide your planning committee with valuable guidance. Professionals Identifying and enlisting the support of professionals in high tech careers may be a challenge, but their input on the planning committee will be well worth the effort. These individuals have completed various stages of education, survived job searches, and learned from day-to-day work experiences. Whether or not they have disabilities, these individuals can provide unique insights. So persevere! * Make contact with personnel offices of companies on your list, explain the program, and ask the staff to help you in your search for professionals. They may not give you names directly, but they might be willing to pass messages along to the appropriate individuals. * Approach science, engineering, computer science, business, and math departments of local colleges and ask for the names of recent graduates. * On local campuses, get in touch with any student associations, clubs, or groups and ask for their assistance in identifying recent graduates. * Whenever you do locate a high tech professional or scientist with or without a disability, invite him or her to contribute to High School/High Tech by volunteering to participate when you are conducting a program appropriate to his or her skills and experience. These volunteers are very important to the success of the High School/High Tech program. Developing a Strong Planning Committee Provide an operating framework in which all your program committee members can identify their roles in developing High School/High Tech. Encourage an active planning committee by delegating duties and seeking volunteers for specific tasks. No one person needs to be burdened with all responsibilities. Feel free to modify Appendix A, a boilerplate invitation letter, and Appendix B, a sample agenda, as you plan the first meeting. The letter should be sent to at least three members from each group--industry, education, and professionals--to ensure an adequate turnout. From now on, the agenda for each meeting will depend on the problems encountered as time passes, the speed at which the committee works, and the goals and time frames the committee established. Be sure that the committee paces itself realistically and identifies its goals clearly. There are a variety of items to be accomplished. Setting target dates will keep everyone on track and moving forward. Committee members should have the opportunity to talk about difficulties they may be facing in accomplishing their assigned goals and to solicit feedback and new ideas from their colleagues. The goal is cooperation with people from each segment of the community, exchanging information and expanding contacts. At this point, you may wish to consult with representatives of an existing High School/High Tech program or with a High School/High Tech task force member to monitor your progress and request more detailed guidance. Refer to the list of project directors on page 52. Funding the Program The High School/High Tech program, for all its benefits to the community, still needs financial support to become a reality. Here are some of the methods that High School/High Tech projects around the country have used to raise money: Federal grants; United Way; Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) funding; funding from municipal or state agencies; corporate cash or in-kind donations, and foundation grants. Some programs have created IRS 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporations to enhance fund-raising abilities. Fund-raising procedures are specific to each organization. Every potential funder has its own forms, deadlines, and application requirements. You should carefully research the requirements of each funder you approach. Getting started, you may want to be affiliated with an established nonprofit human services organization, such as a vocational rehabilitation agency, for office space, liability insurance, and transportation. To focus on program content, funding should sustain High School/High Tech for at least two years. Your planning committee members are excellent sources for funding, and may be willing to assist you. You may want to develop a written evaluation system for your High School/High Tech program. The data you collect on every aspect of the program may attract and bolster future funding support. As the program evolves, the data should extend beyond high school graduation, through college, perhaps graduate education, and possibly into the students' first jobs. Nonprofit Status Once community interest and involvement are assured, it is advisable to secure nonprofit status for the program. In this way, fund-raising capabilities are enhanced. You cannot solicit tax-deductible contributions from foundations or the public until you are established by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service as a 501(c)(3) agency. Nonprofit status is essential for a program to seek federal or foundation grants or corporate donations. Your planning committee should anticipate and agree on all aspects of incorporating as a 501(c)(3) organization. You may also have more autonomy regarding how the program operates if you are independent. Staffing, Fund-raising, and Budgeting Staffing, fund-raising, and budgeting considerations are crucial, and should be addressed early in your planning process. These factors will depend largely on the size of your school district and the number of students with disabilities it serves, and the degree of interest of the business community. If you live in a large metropolitan area, your budget, staff size, and fund-raising strategy may be substantially different than if you live in a smaller, suburban, or rural area. StaffingLeadership Very often, a business leader on the planning committee becomes the initial director of the High School/High Tech program. Businesses would like to develop their workforces in every way possible, so they want to see the program succeed. Businesspeople often have extensive contacts, which help when you are seeking in-kind services. Before you have the funds to hire a program director, it may be possible to use a consultant who is willing to work on an as-needed basis. Using a consultant is only one staffing option available to you. The consulting arrangement, in terms of fee and duration, should be clearly enumerated. The consultant may eventually become the paid program director; however, it should be stipulated in writing that the consultant may not necessarily become the permanent director. This will protect both the High School/High Tech program and the consultant, who might prefer to move on once the contract expires. A program director should have extensive community contacts and good relations with various segments of business and industry. Fund-raising will be one of the most critical aspects of the program director's responsibilities; therefore, proven skills in fund-raising are very important. The person also should be capable of persuasively articulating the need for and goals of the program to the business community and to the public at large. Here again, your board can assist you with fund-raising. The program director is responsible for coordinating the first year's activities. He or she will act as liaison among the schools, the planning committee, and the business community. This person will organize each event and ensure that it runs smoothly. Paid Staff Once the program is launched, it is time to consider what level of paid staffing is appropriate. As a minimum, you will need a full-time or part-time executive director, a position requiring someone capable of performing a wide range of functions. On an ongoing basis, this person will be concerned with the financial well-being of the program, including fund-raising and budgeting. Depending on the size of your community and program, additional staff persons might be needed at some point. A program coordinator, for example, handles the administrative details of the monthly programs and directs the summer session. It may be a full or part-time job, depending on needs and circumstances. Another group that launched a High School/High Tech program chose to hire a program director and part-time clerical support. This High School/High Tech project serves a smaller community where the program director handles all aspects of the program and requires only secretarial assistance. The paid staff that you ultimately decide upon will vary depending on your needs. Primary qualities should be flexibility, the ability to perform competently in a variety of settings, and a commitment to the program and its objectives. A public relations, marketing, or sales background is an advantage, but commitment is the driving force that assures success. Fund-raising Establishing 501(c)(3) status is essential before fund-raising can begin. Once this status is secured, it will be easier to persuade companies in your area to commit to a financial contribution. You will need a funding proposal to present to corporations, foundations, and government agencies outlining what the program is, whom it serves, and how the funds will be used. All proposals must include the IRS letter confirming 501(c)(3) status and a listing of the names of Board members, their affiliations and addresses. Other attachments will vary according to the funder's individual requirements. To assure continued funding from each source, prepare a quarterly, midyear, or semiannual report. It should contain the key accomplishments for the time period covered. The report should be sent to foundation directors who approved previous funding, to all business contacts involved in the program, and to administrators in the school districts you serve. With each company providing financial support, you are building a base for further contributions. Highlight your success to gain the attention of potential new business partners. Even if the companies do not initially offer support, you should cultivate these relationships to strengthen the long-term viability of your program. Corporation foundations are not the only sources for support. Many departments within an organization have money in their budgets for donations to worthwhile organizations. The contacts you make with members of the business community, including professionals, may help you identify these resources. Departments such as corporate or community affairs or public relations may have funds available as either outright donations or in support of a fund-raising activity, such as a dinner or luncheon. In addition to proposals, you will need brochures, fact sheets, and visuals to use in selling the program. Perhaps design, text, and printing services can be donated as an in-kind contribution by one or more of the organizations represented on your planning committee. Many vendors offer reduced prices or even pro bono services to nonprofit organizations in return for acknowledgment on the products. Maintaining a high profile is important for the long-term health of your High School/High Tech project. You may wish to prepare and send periodic news releases to high school newspapers, teachers' newsletters, newsletters and magazines associated with your board members' organizations, publications associated with the donors to your project, and to general circulation newspapers or magazines in your community. Local television and radio stations might also be interested in your program; you should let them know about it. Always notify the staff of the host company's organizational publications to cover your visit, and encourage them to interview some of the students. It might also be helpful to develop a newsletter for the program. Students, parents, potential funders, and others interested in the program should be able keep abreast of High School/High Tech activities, important dates and events, and trends in various technological fields. Perhaps some of the students could be contributing writers. Frequency of publication depends on your needs and budget. During the summer session, a newsletter activity has in the past been a part of the written and oral communications workshop, if desired. Finally, document your events in photographs. School authorities, parents, or host companies may be able to provide photographers; in any case, you may wish to carry a camera yourself to ensure adequate coverage. Put together a photo album or slide show that you can take with you to explain the project. You may wish to send photos to presenters and hosts after the event as a thank you for their participation. Budgeting The budgeting and accounting process for High School/High Tech can be relatively simple and straightforward. There are four major areas of concern: paid staff, workshop-related costs, operating expenses, and the summer session. Once your program is established, it is very helpful to set up a multiyear budget so that you can determine the direction of your program and allocate its resources effectively. The accounting procedure can be equally simple. There is an incoming amount of donations and grants and a limited outflow of checks for salaries and expenses. One of the organizations on your planning committee might be able to donate in-kind bookkeeping services. Sample financial estimates for a program follow. In your program, you will have similar considerations but different requirements, depending on the specific aspects of your program. Sample Budget Example of a budget for a High School/High program that serves up to 50 students a year. In-kind Services Personnel Secretary 10,000.00 Equipment Software Updates 1,000.00 Photocopier 1,500.00 Office Furniture 2,500.00 Telephone Equipment 800.00 Rent 7,200.00 Incidental Supplies and Materials 1,340.00 Newsletter (Two per year) 1,125.00 Telephone 2,000.00 Promotional Materials 2,500.00 Consultation 500.00 Total In-kind Services $30,465.00 Foundation Grants Personnel Project Director (Part-time) 20,000.00 Fringe Benefits (35% of $20,000.00) 7,000.00 Summer Leadership Training 5,000.00 Total Foundation Grants $32,000.00 Direct Program Costs Incidental Supplies and Materials 660.00 Travel 1,000.00 Newsletter (Two per year) 375.00 Mailing 1,500.00 Transportation (Supplied by Parents and School System) --- Total Direct Program Costs $3,535.00 Total Costs for the Program $66,000.00 In-kind services were donated by various businesses and a college. Private companies contributed printing, graphic design, photocopying, and postage services. In addition to legal, accounting, and computer consulting, they also provided refreshments at events. Office space and related equipment and services were provided by the local community college system. Student Recruitment Remember that students with disabilities are selected for the High School/High Tech program from special education and mainstream classrooms. Eligible students include those with physical disabilities and learning disabilities. Student participants should also have the ability to pursue advanced education and training beyond the secondary level. Recruitment tools include presentations, brochures, fact sheets, and outreach through student networks. In some cases more than one school system is accessed for possible student participants. Counselors, teachers, and administrators may approach students in their schools to see if they are willing to be a part of High School/High Tech. Students may also nominate themselves. In any case, referral procedures and forms need to be worked out in cooperation with each individual school system. The initial program orientation should include teachers and counselors from participating schools, and the parents and students. Liability forms, including permission for medical treatment on a field trip and other matters, need to be developed in conjunction with participating school systems. Existing Project Directors, listed on page 52, can provide you with examples of the forms. Of all the program features offered to new students, the opportunity for summer or part-time employment often provides the strongest incentive for program participation. Programming High School/High Tech's programs are the focal point of the entire project. Three major areas are included in the curriculum: workshops, field trips, and the summer session, which can include employment. Each component plays a critical part in the educational process to which High School/High Tech is committed. A well-rounded yearly schedule of events serves to assure the goals and objectives of the program are met and sustains the students' interest and enthusiasm. Such a schedule might include one event per month from September to May, and one two-week summer session. Summer employment experiences usually last ten or eleven weeks. Each event requires careful planning, coordination, and involvement. Up to perhaps 30 to 40 hours of work before each event is necessary for it to be implemented smoothly. This includes visiting the event site, conducting an accessibility check, contacting participants, arranging for transportation and other details with the school district, preparing agendas, arranging meals, writing news stories for publicity, and making signs and nametags. The work should be delegated through a variety of channels; a team effort is essential. Accommodations Throughout their life experiences, young people with disabilities have developed ways to compensate for things they cannot do easily. With parental and teacher support, they have very likely excelled in a mainstreamed classroom. From practice and experience, they know how to articulate their needs. Many times, modification to the facilities, assistive devices, or changes in procedures make this process successful. These are called reasonable accommodations. In the High School/High Tech program, you will meet students with varying disabilities. Some will have visual or hearing impairments. Others will have cognitive disabilities--such as traumatic brain injury (TBI), learning disabilities, or developmental disabilities, such as cerebral palsy. No matter what the disability, each student will be affected by it differently. When you ask students about their specific needs, remember that the student is the expert. For example, some students will not be able to read conventional written material, and will need program materials in one of various alternate formats, such as audiocassette tape, braille, large print, or computer disk. Here again, the student is the expert. For guidance on accommodations and alternate formats, contact the President's Committee's Job Accommodation Network, a free service: President's Committee's Job Accommodation Network West Virginia University P.O. Box 6080 Morgantown, WV 26506-6080 1-800-526-7234 Planning an Event--A Checklist Your schedule of events will be tailored to reflect your community's resources and interests, with the understanding that workshops, field trips, and the summer session will be a part of the overall curriculum. You are only limited by imagination, flexibility, and creativity. Before planning an event, visit the site and check to ensure that the following elements, if needed, are in place: Administrative Details Obtain medical releases once a year. Obtain photo releases once a year. Check with schools to see if notices and trip slips have been sent to students. For workshops on college campuses, secure and meet with campus student volunteers. Meeting with them in advance increases the likelihood that they will show up on the day of the event. Even so, anticipate a 20 to 40 percent no-show rate. Secure and meet with chaperons for field trips. Be aware of personal care assistants. Arrange lunch. Meeting Site accessible building (e.g., safe and well-built ramps with correct gradients; and make sure that the "pushing distance" is not too long. Do other obstacles, such as hills and stairs, make walking difficult?) an obstacle-free path from vehicle to meeting room accessible parking spaces accessible meeting room, lunchroom, and bathroom facilities. Meeting Room Room temperature control is important for people with spinal cord injuries and other disabilities. seating with wheelchair accommodations adequate lighting for American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters to see and be seen. Are audio loops available? (Be sure to schedule at least two ASL interpreters, if needed.) adequate audiovisual capabilities (microphones, outlets, etc.) Signage signs directing participants to meeting room (large and braille) Are the directions to meeting rooms, bathrooms, and other relevant areas clear? This is especially important for people with traumatic brain injury, learning disabilities, or other cognitive disabilities. Some people may experience directional confusion. Materials Prepare agenda, biographies of panelists, and lists of questions for the students to ask. Are printed materials available in alternate formats? Materials must be available for people with visual impairments. If using slides, make sure the speaker reads or describes them. Materials for people with cognitive disabilities should be distributed prior to the meeting. Have workshops been taped? Provide cassettes, for people with learning disabilities, TBI, and visual impairments. The necessity for "trip slips" for each trip during school hours, medical releases, and photo releases cannot be emphasized enough. The "trip slip" makes each trip an official school function and as such provides liability insurance for each student. Any nonprofit organization will be extremely concerned with the issue of liability insurance. Some nonprofit organizations have gone so far as to add legal liability release language to the slips stipulating that the organization cannot be sued in the event a student is hurt during a trip or activity. Medical releases and photo releases are equally important. The medical release gives the school permission to get medical attention for an injured student. The photo release gives your program permission to use photos of High School/High Tech students for publicity purposes. Because of religious and other personal considerations, some parents may be unwilling to grant such permission, and it is important to know this beforehand. Workshops and field trips may be held on college campuses or business sites. Workshops differ from field trips by the fact that once the students are at the meeting site, there is more focus on speakers, a panel, or an individual's presentation. During a field trip, there is greater opportunity to travel to another location and observe an activity, various equipment, and the facility with less emphasis on the person. The campus is the host for some of these events, and this is where the involvement of campus administrators and student volunteers comes into play. The campus location provides student participants with exposure to the college environment as well as information about that particular school. A weekday schedule for workshops, rather than on Saturdays, may be more effective in your area. But buses may be available on Saturdays--be sure to verify this fact. This setting often allows a greater degree of control over transportation, as well as student, teacher, and campus participation. Colleges usually prefer a weekday time frame, since teachers are more readily available to volunteer assistance during the day. Moreover, the students' time during the week is not as likely to be filled with family obligations or leisure activities as may be the case on the weekends. The downside of weekday scheduling is time restrictions placed on the activity. Since the same buses transport students to and from school, they may not be available to begin centralized pick-ups until 8:30 a.m. At the other end, they may have to begin the trip back to drop off program participants by about 1:30 p.m. The workshop schedule therefore may be limited between 9:30 a.m and 1:30 p.m. Getting students on and off the buses requires a considerable amount of time and patience, which further limits the time actually available for presentations. Before actually scheduling an event at a campus, thoroughly check the facilities to ensure they are accessible to people with disabilities. It is surprising that so many campuses are not 100% accessible. Be sure to ask questions and consider all the factors. The number of workshops that you schedule will largely be determined by the resources available to you. Sessions should be planned out before the start of the school year so that the arrangements can be made in an ongoing process. Or, you can wait to see the students' interests. Workshop Content Generally, the schedule of workshops should include each of three basic content areas: academic enrichment, information about college and careers, and motivation. It is critical to the success of the program to ensure that students are exposed to what it takes to get into college, what local colleges they might consider, and the differing kinds of high tech careers available. Workshop Format Workshops other than those covering the three content areas described above will be based on your particular time schedule and resources. In planning for these workshops, it may be helpful to keep some time frames in mind. As an example: I. Registration and socialization (20 minutes) II.Welcome and introductions (15 minutes) III. Part I - Presentations (50 minutes) IV. Break (20 minutes) College and University Opportunities This workshop brings together representatives from selected colleges and universities in your area to discuss their campuses and curricula. Schools welcome the opportunity to talk about their campus; finding speakers should normally not be a problem. You might wish to contact the college or university relations or the admissions department. Ask representatives to bring adequate handout materials, such as course catalogues, sample class schedules, and other descriptive brochures. Some schools also have audiovisual materials, like films and slide shows, which would be helpful when giving a presentation. Check with the appropriate office at the college about these materials in accessible formats for students with cognitive disabilities. Sufficient time should be allotted for questions and discussion. This allows for the most interaction between host students and guests. Host students also learn a great deal from questions their peers ask. As guest students may be reticent in a group situation, you may wish to provide them with a list of possible questions beforehand. College Skills and SAT Preparation Students generally develop study skills over time. No course actually teaches how to study. Workshops, however, can offer guidance in improving study methods. You might consider going to the counseling offices of colleges in your area, which may have materials to assist students with study skills and test preparation. In this workshop, student volunteers from the host college act as group leaders. Once the formal presentations are completed, the guest students can be divided into small groups, where they can ask the volunteers about their college experiences. Careers of the Future In this workshop, professionals with and without disabilities in high tech professions are invited to share information about their jobs and companies, as well as describe how they prepared themselves for these careers. The scope of this program is limited only by your community's resources. The contacts you made earlier in setting up High School/High Tech will prove valuable here. Not only may some of these professionals be willing to be speakers, but they may have other contacts who can help. When approaching firms to identify and solicit the help of professionals, you should emphasize that participation offers a reciprocity of benefits for both the company and students. Once you have your guest speakers confirmed, you may want to provide them with some assistance in terms of who their audience is and their level of understanding, who else is speaking and on what, and what they themselves should cover. It is very useful for students with traumatic brain injury, learning disabilities, or other cognitive disabilities to receive materials ahead of time, and also perhaps tapes of the material where possible. Some guests may be seasoned presenters who need little coaching, while others may be novices at public speaking. When you send your letter confirming their participation and giving them directions to the event site, you can also include these helpful hints: Hints for Making Presentations to Students Be prepared to share the following information: *Your job title *Your daily work activities *How you interact with other employees *The education required to get your job *The requirements for your job *Your employer's expectations *What you like and dislike about your job *How you would change your job if you could Consider the following in your planning: *Amount of time available to speak *Age, interests, abilities of the audience *Special considerations of the audience Stimulate interest and attention by: *Making sure students farthest away can hear you. *Relating your topic to the lives and experiences of the students. Showing students how school relates to the world of work. *Emphasizing that information received now can be applied later in life. Telling an appropriate joke or sharing a personal experience using visual demonstrations or tools or products wherever possible. *Involving students actively. *Distributing handouts at the end of the presentation. Students with visual or cognitive disabilities will need workshop materials in accessible formats. Just as you will prepare speakers for the event, you will want to help your students to be prepared. You can also use the small group experience, as described earlier in this section, to generate discussion among students before asking their questions. This not only stimulates their thinking and encourages group interaction but also, with the help of the student volunteers, helps them to formulate their own questions which they may be hesitant to ask. Workshop Logistics Allow at least 60 days for the preparation of each workshop, and expect that each workshop can involve up to 40 hours of planning. All workshops require a substantial amount of planning, although much of the actual work will be the responsibility of the participants, the presenters, host organizations and colleges, high school officials, and the students themselves. But you must ensure that all of the details fall into place. Let us consider now how to organize a typical workshop, and let us assume that you have not made preliminary contacts to line up presenters and a host college. Then you should begin in this way: 6-8 weeks before Check have an organizational sponsor on campus? _________ have a facility? _________ have the presenters? _________ Check Line up participants > hosting college _________ > presenters _________ Be sure to get a strong commitment to your program from your sponsors on campus. Do not confuse the issue by bringing in other campus groups on your own. Your sponsors not only have better contacts, they are far more likely to be able to get donations of personnel and facilities for you, which will help preserve your budget. Let your sponsors fully enjoy their roles. Prior to the workshop, your host will need to know the expected attendance. Use your enrollment figure if your high school liaison indicates that it is hard to figure. Otherwise discount it by an amount suggested by the liaison, add the adults, presenters, and observers, with a cushion of 10-15%, and give your host the result. Your sponsors will think of the obvious accessibility issues, but you will also need to discuss: * the place where the buses will drop off the students. Is it close by? If not, is there an alternative? Can it accommodate several buses at once? Is it level? Are there problems getting into the hall? Where can the buses go during the workshop? Will there be problems in bad weather? * lighting for the ASL interpreter. Can a spotlight be provided, if necessary? Will the interpreter and the presenter be visible in one view, without shifting back and forth? Is there glare from any windows? * the capacity of the elevators. How long will it take to get the students upstairs? For safety, is there more than one? * accessibility of restrooms. Are they really accessible for all of your students? Where are additional restrooms if problems arise? Can they be reserved? * provisions for a morning snack and lunch if appropriate. Can morning refreshments be served in the room? And lunch? If so, can we bring the food and drink, or do we need to use the campus catering service? What is the cost? Are there sugar-free foods available? Could the college provide any of the refreshments free? If not in the room, is there another place where we could let the students eat lunches brought from home? Is a picnic or commons area available? In bad weather, what is our alternative? If we use the cafeteria or student food service areas, is the path wheelchair-negotiable and short? Is the dining area accessible? Will our group overload the staff there? Will our own staff need to take orders, purchase the food, and distribute it? Will they have time to eat their own lunches? If the students need to buy lunch, can they afford it? Is it accessible for people with visual impairments? * volunteer assistance with any of the above. Will college students be available to lend a hand with: greeting or registering students, setting up chairs or PA equipment, distributing handouts, serving food, or offering mobility assistance? Could they serve as notetakers, or film-commentators for individuals who are visually impaired? Could they assist people with cognitive disabilities in some way? Ideal majors for these volunteers are special education, physical therapy, and nursing, although with a little pre-workshop preparation, almost any good-natured student could serve. Ask administrators for contacts in these groups and request their assistance. You have really nothing to lose, and these student groups may be eager to volunteer to help. * The availability of an interpreter. Can the college provide an interpreter? If any of the presenters from the host college have a hearing impairment, be sure to ask. When you have a date and site, then you can go to your presenters with your proposal. One of the best sources of presenters is your network. In your preliminary talks with your presenters, you should describe the High School/High Tech Project, and the goal of the workshop. Explain why you need them, and give them the date, time, and location. Outline their subject, and suggest that you could meet with them later to develop it in detail if they like. Be sure to describe the audience, including their academic level, interests, and disabilities. Emphasize an informal tone, and that audience participation is a crucial objective. Finally, ask for a commitment. Once the presenters have signed on, you need to assure them that they will know the details as they are set, especially the detailed agenda, and the names of the other speakers. You might mention that there will be an interpreter for individuals who have hearing impairments, and assistance for people who are visually impaired for any written material or visual aids that your presenter may wish to use. For written materials, the ideal is to have them on audiocassette. Large print and braille are also used. Individuals with learning disabilities or traumatic brain injury will also find taped sessions useful. If you have access to a braille machine or service, a taping service, or a large print function on your copier, let your presenters know how soon before the event that their materials need to be ready. Also mention that: -- where necessary, they will be receiving a map to the site, and free parking, if possible; -- any reasonable audiovisual equipment they need will be provided; -- you will send them a confirmation letter, and request outlines of their presentations; -- the agenda and participant roster will be sent about a week before the program, and -- lunch will be provided, if that is desired. Next, ask what assistance the presenters with disabilities prefer. If it seems appropriate, you should be ready to offer transportation to and from the workshop site, an ASL interpreter, if your presenter uses ASL, an oral interpreter for those who use that method, and another interpreter to convert your presenter's sign to voice for the hearing students. Assure them that braille agenda, roster, and outline materials can be made available if desired. The materials can also be in large print and on tape if that is helpful. Be sure to indicate whether accessible parking is available. You should also invite college students with disabilities from the host college to attend the workshop, even if they will not be formal presenters. Their comments to the audience can be very helpful, and they may volunteer impromptu reports on college life, study skills, or simply give encouragement to the High School/High Tech students. During the week before the workshop, contact all of your participants to check on final details and offer any last-minute help. You should also contact the school district liaison to obtain the registration list of students, and then prepare workshop materials. Workshop Content The section which follows describes six typical High School/High Tech project workshops. They are: Workshop A: Goal Setting Workshop B: Study Skills/Super Learning/SAT Preparation Workshop C: College Opportunities Workshop D: Careers for the Future Workshop E: Math-Magic Workshop F: Computer Literacy Workshop A: Goal Setting GOAL: To introduce the students to each other and to the High School/High Tech project, to impress upon them the confidence we have in their abilities, and to inspire them to take charge of their own success. Goal Setting is a general introduction to the philosophy and activities of the High School/High Tech Project, aimed at motivation more than instruction. If you need to limit the number of workshops, feel free to combine the orientation/motivation/get acquainted functions of this workshop with the activities of another, such as the Careers for the Future workshop. In that case, you would choose the Careers Workshop as your first one of the year and incorporate some of the activities described below into the meet-the-panelists core of that workshop. Nevertheless, you should not minimize the importance of getting the students together with their peers and expressing high expectations for the group, or think that the "content" of other workshops is more important than inspiring the students to put it into practice. INSTRUCTIONAL MATTER: I. You Are Able A. Discipline is more important than disability. B. Others have succeeded before you. II. You Have Resources A. In your schools and community B. In your peers C. In yourself III. Make a Plan, and Take Charge! KEY ACTIVITIES: Lecture, Group Discussion METHOD: Set a style of participation at the first workshop. The students will be much more likely to join in the activities of future meetings if this first one sets the tone and breaks down the walls between them. Use this first workshop to get a feeling for where the students are academically and in their lives generally. You will not be able to achieve these purposes if the students are sitting passively throughout the workshop. One way to get the students involved is to ask them to each introduce the person to their right, perhaps also adding some other bit of information about that person, such as his or her school, favorite class, career goal, or favorite book, song, or movie. Another way is to split them into small groups and give them a task to perform. They might be asked to solve a logic puzzle, write a note of advice to a younger brother or sister, or discuss a common dilemma in student life. They could be asked to pick a career goal, but then have the other members of their small group come up with the job description or a list of qualifications, or a plan for making the goal a reality. Goal Setting can be built around motivational talks by professionals with disabilities or other experts on employment issues. Be sure that your speaker plans to encourage participation by the group. As another option, the speaker's talk could be the keynote of the workshop, and group activities would follow. Finally, ask your students to use the workshop experience to make a plan for their own success. This plan should be made in some fashion before they leave, perhaps by writing down the one step they could take next to advance the plan. PRESENTERS: Depending on the method you choose for your Goal Setting workshop, you will have a single speaker or a panel. Since a single presenter will need to carry the whole workshop, you should select someone who can both fire up the students and give them specific information about the resources available to them. It is very important that the students leave this workshop with a clear idea of some resources that they can use immediately to put their plan into action. Select your presenter(s) with this in mind. It would also be helpful if one or two of the presenters had disabilities. This makes the point that "others have succeeded before you" without the necessity of saying so--a point that can almost never be made convincingly in just words. Do not, however, let the workshop become bogged down in a discussion of disabilities and overcoming them. MATERIALS: These include: a page of one-paragraph biographies for panel presenters, paper and pencils for group tasks, and copies of the resource list your presenters would like to emphasize. A packet of materials that explain High School/High Tech, its goals, philosophy, and upcoming events, would be helpful. If you have the budget, you might have special High School/High Tech folders printed, or other emblems, pins, badges, and stickers. These are a nice way to kick off the project year. Be sure to have all written materials on cassette tape for students who are visually impaired or who cannot write. There should be a means of recording the Plan of Action you are asking each student to develop. Index cards could be used to set down the goal and that crucial first step. Students with visual impairments, learning disabilities, traumatic brain injury, and other disabilities will develop alternative methods for recording their goals. Talk with them individually to find the best solution. EVALUATION: Your evaluation can be subjective, but you really want to know whether what the students heard and did had an effect on their goal-setting behavior--their plan for succeeding. Six months down the road, for instance, you might ask them to recall the plan they made, and tell you whether they followed it, changed it, ignored it, or forgot it. Ask for their comments on the outcome. Ask about their current plans. The results may surprise you. They will help you plan future workshops. Workshop B: Study Skills/Super Learning/SAT Preparation GOAL: To show the students that learning does not have to be tedious work. The techniques that make studying more productive and satisfying will work for anybody. The time to start is now. It is most effective to have a professional in educational testing conduct this workshop. INSTRUCTIONAL MATTER: I. The Wrong Way A. Rote memorization--"literalism" B. Disowning the task C. Discouragement, procrastination, cramming II. The Better Way A. Associative learning B. Employing all the senses C. Building on successes KEY ACTIVITIES: Lecture, games, discussion METHOD: Your concern is to find speakers who can relate what they know to the students. You might begin by talking to people in the psychology and education departments of a local college. Find someone who knows the subject and can bring the highlights to your students in a two- or three-hour workshop. Another place to look is the Learning Resource Center sometimes called the "Library," or tutorial center of the college. There might be similar facilities in the high schools. Be aware that an expert in learning techniques is not necessarily an expert in communicating those techniques enthusiastically to a group. For this workshop, given the importance of a professional presentation, you may have to pay the speaker(s). You may want to set up a team to make the presentation. Often, a synergy can develop among people talking about a subject they all know. Be sure that you coordinate the presentation so that it is not repetitive. Once you have selected the person(s) who will conduct your workshop, ask for copies of the handouts that will be used, so that you can give the students a preview through the mail, and so that you will be able to prepare for the discussion which should take place. Ensure that sufficient audience interaction is planned, including discussion of learning pitfalls the students may have encountered. When SAT preparation has been a significant part of this workshop, you may want to bring in a speaker from a test preparation service. Such speakers are experienced in giving this sort of presentation. In a short talk like this, they are likely to emphasize tactics for getting the best possible test score. While such tips are valuable for the students to know, you should make sure that the overall principles of learning strategy are not ignored. MATERIALS: Handouts will probably be part of this workshop, depending on the presentation style of your speaker(s). Aside from duplicating them and making them available in any needed alternative formats, your responsibility will be to see that they support the goals of the workshop. EVALUATION: Are the students using the techniques taught here to improve their learning? How often? Do they feel more confident or pleased about their academic work? Are they enjoying school more? Have they recommended these methods to other students? These and other questions need to be answered. One good way is through a survey, distributed a month or two after the workshop, and then again several months later. You might even consider conducting a preliminary survey of study practices and attitudes, to be used as a benchmark prior to the Study Skills Workshop. Workshop C: College Opportunities GOAL: To help motivate students to succeed in high school and go on to college, and to give them the information needed to make the transition. INSTRUCTIONAL MATTER: I. College in General A. The value of a college education B. College as a new way of life (assertiveness, initiative) C. Choosing (or not choosing) a major D. Using, and asking for, support services E. Overcoming isolation - having fun II. Colleges in Particular: the Schools A. Entrance requirements 1. Community Colleges 2. State Universities 3. Private Schools B. Size and Location Issues C. "Atmosphere" 1. Visiting for a closer look 2. Asking around a. employers - for the college's reputation b. friends - but with a grain of salt 3. Reading brochures and catalogs D. Cost III. Taking College Seriously, Not Grimly A. Going to learn, not just to "pass" B. Networking - learning from your peers C. Keeping your perspective - on yourself and your goals D. Starting now KEY ACTIVITIES: Lecture, Discussion, Review of Handouts METHOD: It is far more useful to give the students a good feeling for college life, academic and otherwise, and a view of their options in the different colleges, than to deal with all of the intricacies of entrance requirements. You should bring together knowledgeable persons in an informal setting to discuss the issues. To create the best context for participating and learning, let each expert know the topics you would like to focus on, give each a few minutes to talk about his/her subject of choice, and allow questions from the audience to lead the discussion. This is not simply "open discussion," because one further requirement given to the school representatives is to briefly describe the relative advantages offered by their colleges or college systems. Invite the Disabled Student Services Office to bring in a few students, preferably with a range of disabilities, from the hosting college to meet the high school students and offer comments or raise questions throughout the program. Ask that the Disabled Student Services Office select them for their outgoing personalities first and disabilities second. You want them to be spontaneous and uninhibited, and to make comments of substance. To assist the students in their role, be sure to meet with them as a group beforehand, explain the goals of the session, and ask them to think about their Freshman year. PRESENTERS: The more thoroughly you network, the more likely you are to identify the best speaker candidates. Your principal presenter from each college will be from the Admissions Office; do not consider substituting someone from the Disabled Student Services Office or elsewhere unless you are absolutely sure that person is an expert on admissions. You might want to add a representative from Financial Aid, or the Disabled Student Services Office, or a college student with a disability from the host university who can talk frankly about his or her experience adjusting to college. MATERIALS: Have a printed list of possible questions to encourage the students to speak up and to prompt their thinking. Distributed before the program, this list can be very useful in raising issues that might get lost in a free-form discussion. You may wish to refer to Appendix C for a sample question list. A brief summary of entrance requirements is also useful. Have the college representatives bring plenty of brochures and other materials for distribution. You should provide your participants with an outline of the day's Instructional Matter, together with the participants' names and titles, and at least the order and duration of their presentations, if not the exact beginning and ending times. This summary of the day's subject matter should be mailed to all participants, college officials who may attend, college students in the audience, interpreters, and persons with cognitive disabilities. EVALUATION: You will want to know what effect your College Opportunities Workshop has had on the students. Evaluation may take the form of a written questionnaire at the time of the workshop, questioning students informally, and carefully watching the audience from the sidelines. Workshop D: Careers for the Future GOAL: To give the students a chance to learn about various technical and professional careers from people in those fields, and to help the students realize that they can aspire to similar success. INSTRUCTIONAL MATTER: I. The Careers A. What are the day-to-day activities? B. What are the qualifications? C. Advantages and Disadvantages 1. pay and benefits 2. job satisfaction 3. accessibility II. The Professionals A. Their career choice - why? B. Their preparation - successes and setbacks C. Suggestions to the next generation KEY ACTIVITIES: Lecture, Discussion METHOD: The simplest format for this meeting is a panel of four to six people, each person commenting on the Instructional Matter listed above. Questions from the audience can come at the end of each speaker's 5-10 minute talk, at the end of all the panelists' presentations, or at both places, depending on the response of the students. This format is easy to organize, easy to comprehend on the part of both the students and the panelists, allows the panelists to prepare, knowing exactly what to talk about and for how long, and ensures that all major points are covered. Another method to use for this workshop, although not an easier one, is to bring together your panel for an informal group discussion of the issues raised in the Instructional Matter, with a moderator to guide the discussion, introduce the topics, and elicit questions from the audience--in addition to the usual job of making introductions and signalling when time is up. This method may better sustain the attention of the students, get them involved, and stimulate their questions. PRESENTERS: As with the other workshops, you may find that some speakers are not natural orators. A skilled moderator will be able to draw these people out effectively. The other criteria--range of occupation, disability, race, and gender--need to be kept firmly in mind. Ideally, you will have mobility, hearing, cognitive (learning disability and traumatic brain injury), and visual impairments represented by your panelists, and not more than one person with the same job in the group. If you have made enough contacts, you will likely have a broad representation of individuals. MATERIALS: A printed list of possible questions is helpful to the students, as is a page of one-paragraph biographies of the speakers. Presenters may bring in brochures from their workplaces and business cards to distribute. If your panelists can bring in some example of their work, particularly in the technical or manufacturing areas, the students are sure to find it interesting. They may also show slides or videos, but you should make it clear that time is limited. Workshop E: Math-Magic GOAL: To challenge students' preconceptions of mathematics, and to open their minds to the pleasures and satisfactions of math. A student can have the motivation and good grades, but if he or she does not have the prerequisite courses in mathematics, there is little chance of entering the technical majors which lead to high tech careers. A student needs as much as two solid years of preparatory math courses--Algebra I, Algebra II, Plane Geometry, Pre-Calculus, Calculus I-- before beginning college course work in engineering. Most students who arrive as freshmen in college without adequate high school math do so because math courses had seemed either intimidating or irrelevant. Students with disabilities seem to be particularly susceptible to this syndrome. Fewer people push them to excel academically; there are more cop-outs available to them; and like all students, they often hear derogatory comments about math. INSTRUCTIONAL MATTER: I. Math is not scary; it is a part of life. A. It is everywhere. B. Everyone can understand its principles. C. Start anywhere, at any level. II. Math is powerful. A. In high school and college B. On the job C. In recreation and at home III. Overcoming "math anxiety" A. Using motivation techniques B. Using friends and resource persons C. Building on success KEY ACTIVITIES: Lecture, games METHOD: The difficulty that you will run into immediately is that the students who will be the audience have widely varying levels of mathematics. This means that your speaker will not be able to be very specific in citing examples; you do not want to increase the anxiety of the lower-level students by talking about something they do not understand. Your speaker will need to be careful not to ask for answers in illustrating math examples, but to rather show that math provides answers to some interesting questions. The students might be shown, for instance, that math can tell how big a lottery jackpot is likely to get, or whether a bridge under construction will fall down, or how much money you will need for college depending on various estimates of inflation. They might also learn that much of what they see on television or in movies is created mathematically by computer graphics. A few simple shortcuts will allow them to make rough estimates in a multitude of common life situations--and also to check their answers on classroom math problems. A useful approach is to concentrate on dealing with math anxiety. This workshop will not be wasted on those who have an affinity for math because the techniques presented can apply as well to English, history, foreign languages, and any other school subject. PRESENTERS: It is vital that you bring in as a speaker someone with experience in breaking through resistance to math, and who can present the students with techniques that will get them started in adopting a new attitude toward the subject. Look for potential speakers at the Resource Centers of local colleges, particularly the office devoted to tutoring or learning disability; you can also contact the education departments, the psychology department---and of course the mathematics department. You may know an outstanding teacher or other person in the school district who has such expertise. You might even call a private tutoring firm that specializes in this area. Be sure that you discuss your goals for the workshop thoroughly with your presenter. Emphasize that you are looking for a motivational meeting that will enable the students to make their own connections. Ask that he or she talk specifically about techniques for learning math, not just general study skills, and to point out where many people get stuck. Request that the speaker incorporate as much group participation as possible, with games and other fun activities. In addition to your main speaker, you might wish to bring in students who have learning disabilities affecting math skills to talk about how they deal with the problem. They might also wish to address, briefly, difficulties with other subjects and access issues. Some of your participants will have learning disabilities, and they will appreciate discussion of this frustrating problem. MATERIALS: Materials will depend on how the presenter chooses to conduct the session. Try to keep the handouts to a minimum. Ensure that any parts that need to be filled in during the workshop are also kept to a minimum, so that individuals who have difficulty in reading or writing will not be left behind. EVALUATION: You might ask participants to plan several steps to improve their math learning based on something they learned during the workshop. If you then record some of these steps on a flip chart, you will have some measure of the impact of the workshop. A follow-up survey several weeks later can provide more long-range feedback. Workshop F: Computer Literacy GOAL: To help make students aware of the people and resources that can assist in attaining computer literacy, and to provide an overview of the potential applications of computers, particularly for persons with disabilities. INSTRUCTIONAL MATTER: I. What to Learn A. Current access methods 1. voice input/output, large print, braille printers, etc. 2. Artificial Intelligence (AI) in word processing, etc. 3. keyguides, single-switch devices, other hardware modifications B. Applications 1. word processing, desktop publishing 2. video and print graphics 3. computer-aided engineering and manufacturing (CAE/CAM) 4. electronic libraries, electronic mail, bulletin boards 5. commercial and personal financial planning (spreadsheets) II. Where to Learn It A. At school: High Tech Centers, Resource Specialists, classes B. At home: magazines, courses, television and video C. Obtaining the equipment through special grants, etc. III. Why Learn It A. The future job market B. Personal access and satisfaction KEY ACTIVITIES: Lecture, hands-on demonstrations METHOD: Give the students an opportunity to try out computer access methods that can make computers such a vital element in the lives of people with severe disabilities. For instance, in California the community college system has created High Tech Centers which bring together in one room adaptive equipment and software that enable even individuals with severe disabilities to use computers--you may have something similar in your state that could serve as the focus of a Computer Literacy Workshop. You want your students to learn both what computers can do generally, and what they can do for people with disabilities. If your area offers an adaptive equipment convention or a computer conference similar to the Abilities Expo or California State University Northridge's Conference on Computer Technology/Special Education/Rehabilitation, arranging for the High School/High Tech students to attend would be a good substitute for this workshop. The disadvantage is that hands-on opportunities are likely to be somewhat limited; the advantage is the great variety of equipment available for hands-on demonstration experience. PRESENTERS: If you can find the equipment and experts, and attract them to the host campus, the experience for the High School/High Tech students will be well worth your efforts. Here are some places where you might inquire about the people and hardware you need: state and local agencies responsible for rehabilitation; the Special Education and Disabled Students offices of local colleges; computer societies for users; software, particularly educational software, companies; and of course your school district. Do not neglect the computer manufacturers. Both IBM and Apple, to name several of the giants, have offices to improve the usefulness of their products to the customer with a disability. But much of the really outstanding improvement is being made in the software by small software developers, and bringing all of this information together may not be simple. MATERIALS: Ask your presenters to help you prepare a list of useful resources, systems, software, and people, and distribute the list as a handout. If any of the speakers will be providing public domain software, it would be courteous to supply the disks for copying; computer paper for the students' work might also be offered. EVALUATION: You may want to ask the students about their computer experience before the planning for the Computer Literacy Workshop begins. Certainly you will want to survey them afterward, either formally or in conversation, about whether they were able to increase their understanding. Ask specific questions about the particular areas in which they did or did not gain the information they wanted. Did they learn about useful adaptations for their own disability? Did they find out about possible careers? Do they know where to go to learn more about computers? Are they more familiar with the uses of computers? Get feedback on each instructional area of the workshop, as well as the means used to communicate the information. Also, be sure to ask them whether they liked the day's activities. Site Visits What students discover on a site visit is likely to stay with them for a long time. Sometimes the experience will inspire them to choose a career field they had not known before, which underscores how much more powerful showing is than telling. Remember that site visits offer something that cannot be achieved in the workshops, and that is to provide a concrete setting in which to place their dreams. If one or two students' experiences on a site visit show them that this is not the work setting they had in mind, so much the better: You have helped them avoid a career mistake. Be certain to give the students a full view of the work environment and work experience as you plan the site visit with your hosts. Always make choices about the itinerary and speakers/guides so as to give the students the most diverse experience possible. You are more likely then to be providing a realistic impression, and to satisfy a wide range of interests of the group. Site Visit Logistics The logistics for site visits are similar to workshops, but there are some instructional elements unique to site visits of industry, laboratories, museums or similar sites, and attendance at special events. Allow at least 60 days for the preparation of each site visit, and expect that some industries, and many museums or other educational attractions, will require more time, perhaps reservations even six months in advance. Then budget about up to 40 hours for planning; more if this is the first time the site has been toured, and perhaps less if the site visit has been prepackaged for you. You will not want to start your High School/High Tech year with a site visit. Your first meeting will need to orient the students to the project, which is difficult to do on a site visit. Activities will be well established at this point in the project year, and a mailing three weeks in advance might be sufficient. However, your host would probably appreciate a solid attendance figure two or three weeks in advance, and so a mailing at four weeks is probably most effective. Your mailing should include a response form and trip slips, and enough interesting information in the letter or flier to generate a good response. The school districts will handle the actual addressing and provide the "trip slips," but you may want to draft the invitation letter, or collaborate with them on it. There are four principal types of site visits: industry site visits, museum site visits, laboratory site visits, and special events. You should include at least one site visit to each kind of business so that your students get a broad view of technical and professional careers. Industry Site Visits The goal is to stimulate the students' interest and to give them something solid on which to make career choices. Even if the particular industry you have chosen to visit is the career goal of only a few of your students, all of them will see common aspects of business life that are certainly going to be a part of their futures. Choose for your site visits high tech industries in both the manufacturing and service sectors. You will also want to choose a site that offers a variety of business activities. Aerospace firms are great site visits, as are automated manufacturing firms, medical instrument makers, electric utilities, bank data centers, chemical plants, precision tool makers, optics labs, and biomedical research firms. Try to schedule at least two site visits during the year, and conduct at least one before the holiday break interrupts the school year. Try to bring in professionals with and without disabilities to talk about their jobs. If time permits, get someone from the personnel department to talk about what he or she looks for in a job applicant. If the personnel department can find you an articulate new hire, full of enthusiasm for his or her new job, you have an excellent candidate to talk with the group. Let your company liaison know exactly what you are looking for in a speaker. Museum or Laboratory Site Visits You will want to take advantage of the career-related aspects of educational programs at museums, planetariums, aquariums, and industrial or university-connected laboratories. Offer the students more than the usual public tour. With laboratories, this is not likely to be a problem, and your students will certainly observe a great deal that they might never be exposed to otherwise. In fact, places such as the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Los Angeles are on the cutting edge of their fields, full of interesting glimpses of exciting careers. You can give the group a similar experience at a museum or planetarium with a little preparation. Investigate whether someone connected to the museum is doing research. In the case of a planetarium, it would be an individual with an associated observatory. Then, put together with the museum or planetarium's public affairs or docent office a site visit that will let your students see the method and perhaps the results of that research. If there is a short, self-explanatory brochure that will help the students understand what they will see, you might send it out with their confirmation letters. The researchers or graduate students connected with the research could tell what it is like to be a scientist at work, and what it is they are trying to discover. In this way, the exhibits become the end-product of a professional activity, not just entertainment to amuse the public. With a museum tour, make sure that your hosts understand that you want to convey to the students how they might someday be involved in similar work, and that learning the scientific material is not your first objective. Special Events Another way to round out the basic program of visits to industry could be to arrange for the students to attend a conference or other special event related to the goals of the High School/High Tech project. Such conferences and workshops may be organized by universities, government agencies, and private disability groups, many with special sessions or workshops for students or youth. You can keep current on these by getting on the mailing lists of as many organizations as possible, including your local Mayor's or Governor's Committee on employment of people with disabilities, which are President's Committee State Partners, and the President's Committee itself. When you find an event or conference that seems to be appropriate, call the organizers to find out details. It may be that you can get a private tour of the exhibit hall for your students, or an invitation to speak at a workshop about the High School/High Tech project. Also consider industry conventions, computer conferences, and job fairs. There is probably no better way for your students to get a feeling for the wide range of opportunities than to see a hundred or so firms competing to sell their products or to hire new employees. Many of them will be making special efforts to recruit qualified people with disabilities, and may have materials or displays that make the point. Write to the convention center or bureau for a list of upcoming events. Summer Seminars The summer seminars are the portion of the High School/High Tech project which can have the most profound effect on the lives of many students, and it is the program element most likely to give them an expanded sense of their own possibilities in the world of science, technology and related professions. In some ways, the summer session resembles the workshops. Here again, students are asked to consider the careers in their futures, to investigate college life, and to enhance their academic skills--particularly in the science and technology-related areas of mathematics and computer literacy. The close personal relationships that develop at these sessions and the hands-on nature of summer session projects have a much greater impact than you can hope to accomplish in a three or four-hour workshop or site visit. The seminars generally involve ten days of activities spread over two weeks in the summer, although if it is a residential program rather than a day-long activity, a single week would suffice. You should try to hold the summer session on a university campus. The advantages are so numerous that no alternative should be considered except as a last resort. The opportunity to tour a college campus, meet professors and students, and even sit in on classes would be missed if seminars were held elsewhere. The other parts of the summer session agenda also need support most easily obtained from the university community. What, then, will the two weeks on campus involve for the High School/High Tech students? The courses are: College Life, Careers Investigation, Computer/Math Literacy, the Engineering Project, and Communications Skills (written and oral). Two-week, day-long seminars running from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and subtracting 10 hours for lunch, leaves about 40 hours for summer session programs. If half of them are reserved for miscellaneous activities--speakers, films, class visits, campus tours, games, and some unscheduled time--then the core of seminar activities should take place in the remaining 20 hours. The only other aspect of organizing summer seminars that needs attention during the preliminary period is hiring and training the staff, consisting of the Director (who should be the Project Coordinator responsible for the overall High School/High Tech project), counselors, and interpreters. You are looking for congenial people who can take charge of an activity and make it exciting and enjoyable for a group. You will want your counselors to be close in age to the students, preferably college students at the host college who are mature and responsible. Finally, you want a good balance of gender, race, and disability that reflects the diversity among the students. You will face similar budget considerations for the summer session as you would for the regular program. INSTRUCTIONAL MATTER: I. Thinking Like an Engineer A. Reading specifications carefully B. Developing preliminary designs C. Performing tests and keeping records D. Redesigning and rethinking E. Report writing II. Working in Groups A. Brainstorming--group creativity B. Finding each other's talents C. Distributing responsibility D. Overcoming friction III. Acquiring the Academic Tools A. Geometry and trigonometry B. Mechanics and metrics C. Physics, optics, and aerodynamics KEY ACTIVITIES: Brainstorming and preliminary testing of materials and methods; based on the foregoing, designing and constructing a device to meet the Project Specifications; testing; report writing. METHOD: The Engineering Project is one of the "hands-on, see-what-works" parts of the High School/High Tech curriculum. LEADERS: The Project Groups should consist of at least four and no more than eight participants, led by a counselor whose ideal role is to challenge, cheer, and cajole the group into doing their best thinking. In planning the summer session, one of these "tried and true" projects, for example, may be chosen for the students: Aerial Camera, Egg Drop, Airplane, and Chronograph. Written Communication Skills GOAL: To develop skill in conveying thoughts and feelings with clarity, precision, and style by means of the written word. INSTRUCTIONAL MATTER: I. Collecting Facts, Opinions, Images, and Ideas A. In the external: by observation B. In the internal: by association C. In the culture: by research II. Estimating the Audience and Finding the Words A. Their preconceptions, interests, and patience B. The matter to be conveyed; the tone to convey it III. Editing A. Creating order and organization B. Eliminating errors C. Removing the superfluous Some examples of activities during this workshop have been a summer session newsletter. The students could also write reports of the Inventors Project and "Getting to Know a Corporation." Perhaps students could team up for these projects, bringing out each other's strengths. Computer Graphics The term computer graphics refers to communications with a computer by means of symbols, lines, dots, letters, numbers, and so on. Computer graphics are widely used for personal and business purposes. Some areas of application are electronic component design and network analysis and design. Electronic component design is concerned with the electrical and electromechanical hardware. Network analysis relates to the computational techniques that are involved with math, circuits, and networks. The computer's speed makes it easy to analyze complex networks involving many components. Computer graphics will permit the builder to design the shape of a building, a computer circuit, and even a clothing design. The computer enhances drafting skills. In the campus computer lab, talk about the uses of computer graphics, and allow the students to design their own projects. This activity may be combined with the Engineering Project. Inventors Project For this activity, students may interview people who have created devices to "make life easier." Library research or games may also be incorporated. Summer Session Individual Research Project "Getting to Know a Corporation" When it is time to seek a steady job, many people think only to look in the employment want ads in the local paper. However, only five percent of all jobs are found this way! Most jobs are found through personal contact--through your family, friends, teachers, and fellow students, and through researching a company and directly contacting its personnel department. Have the students pick a company in the area to research. Encourage them to use the career center, the library, daily newspapers, news magazines, business magazines, or call the company and ask for the public relations or personnel department to obtain additional information. Oral Communication Skills GOAL: To enhance self-confidence and poise while developing speaking skills in an atmosphere of fun and competition. INSTRUCTIONAL MATTER: I. Preparation A. Purpose B. Research C. Organization D. Practice II. Delivery A. Confidence B. Flexibility C. Humor KEY ACTIVITIES: Preparing displays, researching and delivering oral presentations, debates, and interviews. METHOD: To develop public speaking skills, you can use "mock corporation" projects. In these the students imagine a product of the future, and then produce imaginary enterprises, complete with charts, logos, corporate officers, salary schedules, profit projections, manufacturing profiles, advertising materials, and financing strategies. Generally the presentations last about 20 minutes each, and are enhanced by graphs, pictures, models of the product, and even video productions, costumes, songs, and exaggerated advertisements or endorsements for the product. Debate: Is College Worth It? Two debate teams, of an equal number of people but not more than six each, will be formed to argue the following proposition: "Resolved: that a four-year college education and degree, taking into account all benefits, including the financial, social, intellectual, emotional, and spiritual, is worth the cost." Prospectus A prospectus is a written proposal to the public that they invest money in a new stock or bond offering. Often, when a company is new, or has a new idea but not enough money to begin work on it, they will sell stock "shares"--each "share" is a piece of paper that gives the holder the right to a share of the future profits of the company. A company gets the investment funding it needs to grow, and the shareholder gets a chance to share in the profits. RULES: Your problem as a team is to come up with an idea for a new product or service that is so good that people will want to give you their hard-earned money. In your group you must figure out all of the details: how much money is needed to begin, how profitable your enterprise will be, and how soon it will make a profit, what machinery, employees, materials and energy will be needed, and their cost, and even how your product or service will work in detail, and what to call it and your company. Careers Investigation GOAL: To broaden the range of careers considered by the students, and to enhance their ability to achieve a professional career. INSTRUCTIONAL MATTER: I. Information for Choosing a Career A. From speakers and role models B. From career software II. College Career Services A. Career counselors B. Occupational descriptions and profiles C. Job search resources METHOD: High school students, particularly students with disabilities, may not yet be ready to choose a career, but they may be at the point of selecting career-related classes. Three alternative activities can be initiated--taking a tour, listening to a speaker, and working with an interactive computer program. College Life GOAL: To encourage students to go to college by providing them with a personal glimpse of college life, both the academic and extracurricular activities. INSTRUCTIONAL MATTER: I. Academics A. The classroom academic level B. The college style of enquiry C. Library resources D. Other academic facilities II. College Services A. The Disabled Student Services Office B. Career planning and placement C. Recreation: clubs, Student Union, events III. Debate: Is College Worth It? KEY ACTIVITIES: Class visits, tours, speakers, films. METHOD: Before the summer session begins, contacts are made among the college community, and a list of potential tours and class visits is compiled. Computer/Math Literacy GOAL: To broaden the educational and career options available to the students by fostering computer literacy and reducing math avoidance. INSTRUCTIONAL MATTER: I. Computer Literacy A. Word processing B. CAD/CAM/graphics, spreadsheets, data bases, and other applications programs C. Adaptive software, and robotics D. Simple programming (for the Engineering Project) II. Math "Literacy" A. Overcoming anxiety and avoidance B. "Fingermath," math games, math puzzles, and other amusements C. Algebra in ordinary life KEY ACTIVITIES: Hands-on practice with computers, demonstrations of new devices and software, lectures, and games. METHOD: Your presenters will generally determine the method of instruction. This is one part of the summer session curriculum which should be conducted by seasoned professionals. Summer Employment Some of the programs offer summer employment opportunities for participating students. In one program, this option is offered only to participating high school Juniors and is funded through the local Job Training Partnership Act program. These work opportunities have provided incalculable benefits for the young people. They have also helped tremendously in recruiting new students into the program. In a few instances, the employment has extended beyond the summer and has enabled students to pay for additional training and education. In providing employment opportunities, you will have some of the same considerations as you would for other aspects of the program: financing and staffing; developing work opportunities; selecting and orienting students, monitoring the program,etc. Certainly, there are forms and procedures to develop. You may want to prepare handbooks, reports, and evaluations for students and employers to use in the program. Getting Started You should now have a general idea of what it takes to start and sustain a High School/High Tech program. For more detailed information, you may want to contact the Project Directors of ongoing programs: Los Angeles and South Bay, California Tina Kerrigan Executive Director The Foundation on Employment and Disability, Inc. 3820 Del Amo Boulevard, Suite 201 Torrance, CA 90503 Phone: (310) 214-3430 Fax: (310) 214-4153 Huntsville, Alabama Melody Goforth Executive Director, F.A.S.T., Inc. c/o AVEX Electronics, Inc. 4807 Bradford Drive Huntsville, AL 35805 Voice/TDD: (205) 722-6830 Fax: (205) 722-6232 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania John Bernard Program Coordinator TECH-LINK Program of Pittsburgh Room 311-BABB Building 850 Ridge Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15212 Phone: (412) 237-2767 Fax: (412) 237-4512 Prince George's County, Maryland Charles McNelly Executive Director United Cerebral Palsy of Prince George's and Montgomery Counties William Irwin Buck Center 3901 Woodhaven Lane Bowie, MD 20715 Phone: (301) 262-4993 Fax/TDD: (301) 262-4982 Are you ready? If so, we are there to help. Please contact: High School/High Tech President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities 1331 F Street, NW, Third Floor Washington, DC 20004-1107 Phone: (202) 376-6200 TDD: (202) 376-6205 Fax: (202) 376-6219 Appendix A--Sample Letter Use this letter to inform relevant community leaders of the first meeting. It may be tailored to professionals with disabilities, business representatives, and education professionals. Send it to more than one person per group to improve chances for an adequate turnout. Date Name Address City, State, ZIP Dear: The purpose of this letter is to. . . . High School/High Tech is a program that can provide our area's young people with disabilities with an opportunity to sample careers and learn about educational opportunities in the science and technology fields. Thank you for your interest in the High School/High Tech program. We welcome your participation on the planning committee. (Project Name) will be working with (number of students) throughout the area. These young people are interested in computers, the sciences, engineering, and other high tech fields. Many local firms have expressed interest in our efforts. Our first meeting will be on (date) at (time and location). At that time, we will propose committee assignments. Please review the enclosed agenda {Address the individual's expertise here, or any conversational items.} See you on (date)! Sincerely yours, Manager ABC Enterprises Appendix B A Sample Agenda for the First Planning Committee Meeting I. Welcome/Introductions Why we are here Who we are representing Self introductions--name, interest in High School/High Tech II. What is High School/High Tech? History Goals/Objectives--Define what High School/High Tech is Need for community involvement III. Review Program Phases Phase I Secure financial support. Secure school district cooperation and commitment. Identify students with disabilities in 9th, 10th, and 11th grades. Follow up with 12th grade. Coordinate events with local colleges and universities. Develop appropriate liaisons with colleges and universities Identify professionals to act as mentors. Phase II Recruit volunteer teachers. Develop tutorial programs. Initiate parental support groups. Phase III Design and implement workshops and field trips. Develop summer session. Organize system of evaluation and recognition. IV. Discussion Ask for commitment. Assign tasks toward achieving Phase I goals. Schedule next meeting and identify agenda items. Appendix C--Examples of Student Questions College Questions 1. What are the differences between the two-year and four-year schools? 2. What are the differences between the different school systems? 3. What are the differences between private and public colleges? 4. How do I decide which is best for me? 5. What are the admissions requirements? 6. What are the deadlines? 7. What are the differences between SAT, ACT, and achievement tests? 8. What classes should I take in high school? 9. Suppose I missed some required classes, or got poor grades? 10. What is the A.A. degree? B.A. degree? M.A. degree? Il. What is the difference between the B.S. and the B.A.? 12. Can I transfer from another college to your school? What are the requirements? 13. What are "transferrable" classes? 14. What are the graduation requirements (e.g., foreign language, math, English, PE)? 15. What is General Education? 16. Should I work on my major first, or take GE courses? 17. How do I know which major is going to be in demand five years from now? 18. Can I change majors, or remain undeclared? 19. Can I take my prerequisites before I graduate from high school? 20. What about support services? Readers? Interpreters? Notetakers? Van services? Counselling? Proctors? 21. How will the instructors deal with my special needs? 22. How do I establish eligibility for support services? 23. How is accessibility on your campus? 24. What will school cost? 25. How can I pay for it? 26. What about grants, low-interest loans, etc.? 27. What about scholarships? 28. What about SSI and SSDI? 29. What's the difference between financial aid and scholarships? 30. What about part-time jobs while at school? 31. What is the typical student at your school? 32. How do I enroll? 33. Whom can I contact for more information? Career Workshop Questions 1. How is the outlook for people with disabilities likely to change in five years? 2. What should I be doing now to prepare for the job market in the future? 3. What are the most impressive credentials I could bring to the job interview? 4. What college classes should I take? What high school classes? 5. What about extracurricular activities? 6. Is volunteer work useful? What sort is the most helpful? 7. How do you get that first job? What should you consider? 8. What accommodations have employers made in the past? 9. How can I meet other people with disabilities who are now working in my field? 10. In what areas will your company be hiring in the future? 11. What do you think is most often lacking in job applicants? 12. How will I know that I will be happy working at a particular company? 13. Suppose I have no experience? How will I get a job? 14. Is there one piece of advice you think is most crucial? 15. How would I get a job with your company? 16. Are professional societies helpful in advancing my career? 17. Will your company allow me to mentor students? 18. What are typical starting salaries at your company? What about promotion potential? Benefits? Shadowing Experience These questions were produced by the TECH-LINK program of Pittsburgh. The students ask them as they observe high tech professionals doing their jobs. Students are briefed before a shadowing experience on what types of questions he or she can ask and are given background on the place of business and a job description. Sometimes the information is sent to the home or school, and the parent or teacher discusses it with the student. Prior to the shadowing experience, TECH-LINK workshops teach students how to conduct a job analysis. A list of discussion topics is also made available to individuals who are being shadowed before the students' arrival. The student is provided with the following suggestions of questions to ask: 1. What is your job title? 2. What task do you spend most of your time doing in your job? 3. What is the educational background required for your job? 4. What are the main skills or competencies you need for your job? 5. What are the main personality traits required? 6. Why did you decide to become a (name of occupation)? 7. What are some advantages of your job? 8. What are some disadvantages of your job? 9. What job can you move to that has more responsibility and pay? 10. Are you paid on a salary or a freelance basis? How does your income compare with that of people who do similar work in other parts of the country? What are the salary ranges and how do you get increases in salary? (But NOT "How much do you earn?") 11. What about benefits? Security? Promotional opportunities? This is an opportunity to find out about the work environment. Do they have a nice office, cubicle, or work in an open area? Do they put in a lot of overtime (all the time or just certain times of the year)? Do they work alone or with lots of people? Do they do lots of paperwork? Are they members of associations or professional organizations? Is it required or advisable to join? The following list of discussion topics is made available in advance to professional persons being shadowed: 1. General Work Description Specific Tasks Involved Working Conditions 2. Skills Requirement Training Required (where, cost, time) Alternate Ways to Enter Job 3. Salary/Benefits (beginning/later) Kinds of Benefits 4. Advancement Possibilities (vertical/horizontal) 5. Pros and Cons ---------- End of Document