The DC STCoP April meeting focused on the unique transition needs of youth attending nonpublic schools. Participants engaged in an information session entitled, Who Are Youth Attending Nonpublic Schools? The information session was followed by a panel discussion entitled, Highlighting the Unique Transition Experiences of Youth Attending Nonpublic Schools.

Resources:

PowerPoint Presentation Slide Deck

Jamboard Activity - Feel free to share your thoughts on this topic asynchronously. 

OSSE Special Education Nonpublic Placement Webpage

Do you want access to DC Secondary Transition Community of Practice updates and past meeting materials?

Share your expertise by facilitating a content session at this year's Secondary Transition Institute.

Inform others on how your organization supports transition-aged youth by hosting a virtual booth at this year's Secondary Transition Institute.

SchoolTalk is seeking up to three seasonal Internship Specialists to support our 2022 JumpStart Program. This is a great opportunity for Special Educators, Community Rehabilitation Providers, or graduate students in a related field who are looking for summer work in DC.

Do you want to share your expertise, highlight organizational successes or best practices in action, or just take on a more active role in the DC Secondary Transition Community of Practice? Sign up to host one of our monthly information sessions. Desired topics include:

• Career & technical education for students with disabilities
• Work-based learning opportunities
• Customized employment
• Virtual Secondary Transition Programming
• Data sharing & tracking

May 17-18, 2022 | 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

SchoolTalk, the D.C. Office of the State Superintendent of Education’s Division of Post Secondary Careers & Education (PCE), and the DC Secondary Transition Community of Practice (DC STCoP) will host a D.C. Secondary Transition Institute for local education agencies and community organizations. 

Participants will increase their knowledge about secondary transition for students with disabilities and be given the opportunity to gather resources and meet with individuals from across the District who are working diligently on improving post-school outcomes for students with disabilities.

This year’s Institute will be virtual and centered on Bridging the Gap: Secondary Transition is College & Career Readiness for Students with Disabilities

Click here to learn more and register!

SchoolTalk’s 13th annual Voices of Change program will be a creative competitive experience is a creative competitive experience for D.C. youth with disabilities! This summer, 10 teams will collaborate to create and compete over the course of 10 days using any one or more of 10 art forms! Programming for youth will be on Saturdays in person this summer.

Teams are made up of up to seven D.C. youth with individualized education programs (IEPs) or 504 plans. Teams will compete on Instagram Live in a format similar to NBC’s The Voice. Each team will receive virtual coaching from experts in advocacy, communication, problem-solving, music production, photography, visual art, videography, performance, and more!

Through the Voices of Change Program, participating youth will use art to build competencies to:

•  Explore and pursue creative careers in the arts, design, entertainment, and media industries.
• Practice self-awareness & self-expression.
• Advocate for themselves & their communities

The application deadline has been extended to April 29! Please encourage youth with disabilities interested in pursuing creative careers to apply here. 

Visit the Voices of Change webpage for additional information on eligibility requirements, important dates, youth stipends, youth project examples, and to access the application.

If you have any questions or would like to request accommodations in the application process, contact SchoolTalk’s Arts to Advocacy team by email at dcyln@schooltalkdc.org or by phone at 202-681-0638.

DDS' Community & Provider Forums have moved to the fourth Friday of every month. Forums will now be held on Zoom (from 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm Eastern) in hopes of 

providing more opportunities for questions and discussion. ASL and spoken-language interpretation services are available.

For ASL Interpretation Services

• Please log in at 11:50 am
• The video camera on your device must be on.
• Look for and click on ASL.
• Select Chat box or thumbnail to lock your screen on ASL Interpretation.
• If you experience problems, you can communicate through the chat box.  

For Translation Services

To request spoken language interpretation, please contact dds.languageservices@dc.gov. 

Click here to join the May 27th Forum!

Please email any questions or concerns to Charlisa.Payne2@dc.gov.

DOES' Office of Youth Programs is recruiting Host Site Volunteers for MBSYEP.

Click here to visit the MBSYEP employer portal!

College Living Experience (CLE), a post-secondary organization that provides support in academics, career development, social development, independent living skills, and financial management for young adults (ages 18-26) with learning differences.

Want to learn more? Email cizurieta@experiencecle.com.

Founded in April 2016 with an all-parent governing board, PAVE is dedicated to creating an environment where the vision for education in DC is created with children and families, not for them. We aim to shift the dynamic so that communities and parents are partners in creating great schools.

Click here to visit DC PAVE's website! 

The Quality Trust Family Ties of DC (FTDC) is a unique parent-to-parent support 

program designed to match a parent of child(ren) with disabilities seeking 

support (Referred Parent) to an “experienced” parent (Support Parent) who can 

provide free and confidential support, information, and connection. 

WHO can connect? Any DC parent or caregiver of a child(ren) at any age 

WHY should you connect? The advantages of parent matches are: 

• Gaining a sense of belonging, understanding, and trust with another parent 
• Identifying resources and supports to meet your family’s needs 
• Seeking respite and self-care supports 
• Learning strategies to advocate for your family 

HOW do you connect?  The connection is made through a 1:1 parent match between a 

Support Parent who has child(ren) with disabilities with the Referred Parent, who is 

seeking emotional support, information, and resources from a parent who has travelled their path. To get started, please complete and submit a FTDC Parent Match Request*.  

Also, if you would like to connect by supporting another DC parent through your lived 

experiences, please consider joining the team of FTDC Support Parents. Please complete the FTDC Support Parent Application. You can also find both forms on Quality Trust’s website www.dcqualitytrust.com/family-ties/.

If you are interested in the FTDC program, please contact Rhonda White, FTDC Program Coordinator at rwhite@dcqualitytrust.org or (202)302-6635. 

Check out a parent’s story at https://www.dcqualitytrust.org/family-ties/. 

We are having a series of event called Every Kid Healthy Week. You all are invited to visit our website at hscsnhealthplan.org for more information.

The purpose of Bill 24-0268, the “Developmental Disability Eligibility Reform Amendment

Act of 2021”, is to revise the eligibility criteria for services provided by the Developmental

Disabilities Administration (DDA) of the Department on Disability Services to include people with developmental disabilities, even when they do not have an intellectual disability.

Click here to review the full draft of the Committee on Human Services report!

Please contact Chelsea Kovacs, Secondary Transition Manager, at chelsea.kovacs@schooltalkdc.org.

The DC Secondary Transition Community of Practice supports DC youth with disabilities as they transition into a self-directed life. We are a city-wide, cross section of stakeholders who come together to strengthen our individual and collective ability for action.