• Work Foundations+ is a secondary special education program focused on providing comprehensive academic instruction and real-life career exploration, experiences, and training to students with disabilities to best prepare them for successful post-secondary training and education, employment, and independent living.

     

    Academics:  Students learn the necessary soft skills to be competitively employed upon graduation. Instruction is focused disability identification and self-advocacy in the employment setting, financial application and management, and independent living skills instruction in areas such as personal care, housekeeping & home maintenance, shopping, food preparation, community resource awareness and money management.

    2023 Work Foundations+ Graduate Testimonials

     

    Future and career readiness activities:
    As part of our comprehensive transition program, all students participate in our future and career readiness activities in an integrated community-based setting. Our future and career readiness activities are school-coordinated and sequential experiences based upon the individual student’s skills, interests and needs and are based on PDE’s Career Readiness Indicators. Our CSIU Transition Job Coaches, along with our teachers, provide job coaching, supervision, assessment, and transportation to our community partners. Students are not paid for these experiences as they are part of their comprehensive educational program provided through Work Foundations+.

     

    PA Career Readiness Indicators and Crosswalk to Programming

    Tier 1: Career Awareness and Preparation

    • During career awareness, students receive intensive instruction on rules of grooming, dress, and behavior in the workplace. This tier of future and career readiness is student driven and assists them in making informed decisions about their futures.

    Tier 2: Career Acquisition

    • Structured activities in which the student receives hands on training and experience in a selected career of interest in an integrated community setting. During this time, the student receives on the job training from the site supervisor and job coaching and supervision from the WF Transition Job Coaches. This tier of future and career readiness is determined by the student’s assessed skills, needs and interests. Placements and scheduling are determined by site availability and individual need of the student.

    Tier 3: Career Retention and Advancement

    • Intensive level of hands on learning in an integrated setting to assist the student in developing the necessary skills and knowledge needed to acquire an entry-level job. Tier 3 activities are longer in duration, occur in one specific placement, and require the student to develop a schedule with the site supervisor. This tier of future and career readiness occurs after the student successfully completes all elements of Level 1 and Level 2.

    Tier 4: Entrepreneurship

    • Intensive, 1:1 instruction with students to explore options for developing a business plan that addresses their interests and a need in their local community. Students research and explore all possibilities and work to determine feasibility and sustainability.
Young man with special needs mopping floor
  • The students at Work Foundations+ take great pride in their work.

High school boy laminating paper

For More Information

  • Our Staff

         Teachers

             Robert Beierschmitt          

             Rebekah Gingrich

              Alexis Golden

              Vanessa Haydt

              Erin Hickey

              Bonita Jaskiewicz

              Leslie Mostoller

              Chrysti Pontius 

              Beth Terry

     

         Paraeducators

    Mary Buczkowski

    Don Gallo

    Sabrina Parker

    Edith Rivera

     

         Transition Work Experience Job Coaches

    Barb Brodie

    Rhonda Dunn

    Tehani Grenell

    Maxine Harvey

               Brandon Ulceski

     

         Guidance Counselor

               Melonie Vognetz

     

         Social Worker

               McKenna Freeman

     

         Off-Site Facilities & Safety Support Technician

               Tom Packer

     

         Inventory Management and Distribution Technician

               Scott Wert