Over the course of the 2022-23 school year, students in our Extended Campus Transition Program have been working at various community sites.
Work sites include River Bluff Nursing Home, Hoffman House Restaurant, Riverfront Museum Park, Rockford Rescue Mission Thrift Store, and Meijer. Students also attend RPS 205 sites including Nutrition Services, Automotive, and Machine Operations. At their respective job sites, students are exposed to several employability skills that are repetitive in nature. Teachers and paraprofessionals help these students become more independent in the workplace.
The purpose of the Extended Campus Program is to expose students with disabilities to entry level employability training, with the goal of helping them secure employment before they age out. Students in this program have an Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) and range in ages 18-22 years old. Part of preparing our students for the workforce involves resume building and practicing interview skills. Extended Campus students have been working hard on these tasks, as they prepared for their recent mock interviews with a handful of community partners from the Rockford area. Representatives from Easterseals, RAMP, the Rockford Park District, the YWCA, and University of Illinois College of Medicine Rockford interviewed our students and offered them feedback.
Here’s what Shannon Schumacher, Therapeutic Recreation Coordinator for the Rockford Park District thought of her experience:
“The mock interviews were a great experience! It was wonderful to see these students who have been working so hard at their jobs throughout the year get the chance to show that through an interview. The staff did a great job of prepping and supporting the students through the whole process. The best part was seeing each student I interviewed get more confident as the questions went on.”
Cara Jenson, an Extended Campus student, shared the benefit of the mock interviews:
“The mock interview helped me practice answering questions. I was able to talk about what I did at my jobs! My favorite part of the job is running the baler at the thrift store.”
On behalf of RPS 205, we sincerely thank our volunteers for taking time out of their day to help our students. The interview process was a first for many of our students. Your kindness and patience did not go unnoticed. We look forward to continuing experiences such as this in the future and know that we can because of the support from our community.
Jordan Hagerman
Jordan Hagerman was born and raised in Rockford. She obtained her degree in elementary and special education at Lewis University in 2009. This is her 14th year working in RPS 205. Jordan started as a special education teacher at Guilford High School and has been serving as the Special Education Academy Coach for the last four years.