John talks the ACC STRIVE Program with Mary Vlahovich
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Description
There has never been an obstacle to instruction like the COVID-19 Coronavirus. Every student and educator, from kindergarten to college, have been impacted in some way by the recent outbreak.
Students in our Skilled Training Rewarding Independence and Vocational Education (STRIVE) program are used to being busy around the Alvin Community College campus. But over the past month, they have been busy learning from home.
The program provides Vocational Training for adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities with an end goal of transitioning students into the workforce. Many of our students have found employment through the STRIVE program.
Learning to be more independent, being a self advocate and communicating effectively are the skills that are the cornerstones of our program.
Our current situation, in many ways, allows our students to practice the skills they learn at ACC. We are communicating with each other through emails and the Microsoft TEAMS platform. I am sending students videos to watch, notes to take, vocabulary to practice; all of which relate to the curriculum we already have in place.
Students have been completing assignments and sending them back to me. We have also put in place a weekly phone meeting with each student and myself or a job coach. This has given us the opportunity to reach each student personally and discuss how they are doing at home, what they are doing to stay busy and see if they need any help with the assignments.
Our students are taking accountability for their work and learning to reach out when they need assistance.
Unfortunately, almost all of our STRIVE students have lost their jobs due to obvious layoffs stemming from the COVID-19 outbreak. We are doing everything we can to be prepared when jobs are more available and it is safe for them to go to work. We will be ready to hit the ground running, whenever that may be.
My students have proven that they can use this time to be productive, continue to learn, and stay connected. We are very proud of them and the work they have put into their education and their futures.
Publication Date
2023
Document Type
Podcast
Publisher
Alvin Community College
City
Alvin
Keywords
special needs, life transition
Disciplines
Communication | Disability Studies | Interpersonal and Small Group Communication | Social Work
Recommended Citation
Tompkins, John, "John talks the ACC STRIVE Program with Mary Vlahovich" (2023). John Tompkin’s Podcast. 8.
https://archives.alvincollege.edu/john-tompkin-podcast/8
Comments
he Alvin Community College Skilled Training Rewarding Independence and Vocational Education (STRIVE) recently held their Commencement ceremony on May 13.
This the 10th year for the STRIVE Program which provides Vocational Training for adults with intellectual disabilities with an end goal of transitioning students into the workforce. Fifteen of graduates received their certificates during the ceremony.
Commencement speaker Rev. Suzanne Smith talked about how STRIVE students are active in the community such as providing much-needed assistance with the Grace Episcopal Church Mobile Food Pantry program since it began.
"You worked together as a group along with the rest of the community to do something really amazing," Smith said. "You have been part of this ministry since the beginning and you have helped build it to what it is now. Just know how special that is to me. You've made something better because you were there."
The program matches students with internships and job opportunities that are aligned with their capabilities and interests. They are encouraged to find employment before graduation in order to get the most out of their experience.
STRIVE students are active on campus and off campus. They work in the community garden, restock the Blessing Boxes, assist the ACC athletics teams as well as local organizations such as the Grace Episcopal Church in Alvin, Alvin Volunteer Fire Department and more.
To learn more about the STRIVE program, visit www.alvincollege.edu/cewd/strive.html.