Students in the Independent Living Skills (ILS) program at Woodside High School take career development practices as part of their curriculum.
ILS students work closely with Jason Llantero, an ILS teacher, and their aid as to gain career and work experience so they will be able to find entry-level post-secondary school jobs, at which they can succeed.
Wendy Porter, the AVP at Woodside in charge of the ILS program states, “Every student in the program has an individual education plan (IEP) and goals and everything they do is supposed to fulfill those goals.” Some students, often the older ones, are able to go out and get work experience.
In the ILS program, students get all types of work experience in the classroom from cooking, to garbage cleanup, to classroom deliveries. Mr. Llantero described the work experience opportunities or options.
“We start off real basic with basic classroom chores, make deliveries to and from the office or classrooms,” Mr. Llantero explains.
Students then work their way up to more difficult tasks.
Mr. Llantero states, “They go around in teams of 2 or 3 and those that are physically able to use the garbage claws will go and do that.”
Additionally, students work with Ms. Akey and the toters on campus.
“For years they’ve been involved in the recycling program,”Ms. Porter added.
Mr. Llantero wholeheartedly believes that a big part of the class should be its involvement with the community, but students will typically do their work experience in the classroom
Mr. Llantero states, “Traditionally we do classroom chores, it’s kind of part of our social skills group. I feel it’s important to be part of the community.” so students are not secluded from the rest of the school.
Each student gets the opportunity to attempt different tasks around the classroom and on campus. Mr. Llantero and the other ILS teachers make sure that there are a variety of choices and try to find a way to keep things interesting.
“Some of it definitely can be fun, some of it can be monotonous,” comments Mr. Llantero, “[But] later on, after we have mastered our routine, we may make a game or competition to sweeten things up.”
Part of the reason that the teachers and aids offer a variety of work skills and opportunities is because they want to give their students the best leg up when entering the workforce.
Mr. Llantero understands that not all jobs are for everybody “but we just want to give them the opportunity to try those things out.”
After high school, the ILS program students have a few different options.
Students who graduate will traditionally “walk with their graduating class at graduation. They’ll participate in ceremonies. At that time most of our students will receive a certificate of achievement and are able to transition to our district post secondary program which is TRACE” Mr. Llantero Commented
TRACE (Transition Resources for Adult Community Education) is a program that ILS students can attend after graduating high school to gain further community-based education until they are 22 years old.
Students and teacher get to “work with a transition specialist through the district’s transition specialist and they connect us to their work ability program that work ability program connects our students with opportunities with working out in the community” states Mr. Llantero in order to get the students in the working field.
