For Excellent Resources from the U.S. Department of Labor about  Disability Empoyment for Youth in Transition visit: http://www.dol.gov/odep/topics/youth/

Youth Service Professionals can request FREE publications at: http://promotions.usa.gov/odep.html#youth

Get Advice about High School for your eighth grade from High School Students at: http://westernwisconsintransition.pbworks.com/w/page/54121373/Advice%20to%208th%20Grade%20Students%20from%20High%20School%20Students

Each year the Pierce County, WI Transition Council puts together an event called Real World.  The event involves agencies and services that students will use in adult life.  Below are the evaluation results from this year's Real World.  The comments are directly from students.  If you want to know more about this event contact me.  I'm happy to share. 
 

Real World Pierce County 2012 Student Evaluations

Ratings:

	Keynote	Courthouse tour	Moving On Up: Student Services	It's Your Money	GPS	Hired or Fired	Young Adult Panel
Ok	12%	11%	18%	0%	3%	12%	3%
Pretty Good	30%	32%	29%	30%	19%	35%	41%
Great	39%	19%	47%	43%	38%	41%	35%
AWESOME	30%	38%	5%	27%	41%	14%	21%

Comments:

Keynote

I learned…

·         To advocate  so you can make it to your goal

·         That you can do anything you can set your mind to

·         Fantastic speaking skills, great encouragement for advocating

·         That you can be successful no matter what X2

·         That having disabilities doesn’t mean that you’re broken and need to be fixed. Every breath is a gift

·         Need grants and everything else

·         That you need to talk about your disabilities to teachers

·         You’re going to have a rough life wherever you go

·         You need to respect everyone for who they are and not judge

·         To speak up and don’t just stand behind

·         Never give up on your dreams. Keep trying

·         To be assertive and don’t be worried or scared about what people think or say

·         How even if you have a disability, you can do great things

·         It doesn’t matter if you have a disability. We are all human

·         Anything’s possible

·         To speak my mind and get help when I need it in college

·         Never give up

·         About cerebral palsy

·         That I’m not the only one that has a learning disability…also learned “every breath is a gift”…

·         That it doesn’t matter what kind of disability we have. Anything is possible and we can go to college

·         That people with disabilities can achieve stuff too

·         That if you set your mind to it, you can achieve it

·         That he has ADHD and other things too and was a runner

·         A lot about what it was like when he grew up

·         That I can do anything

·         Ask questions, even though we’re different, we’re still human

·         Looking forward

·         That nothing is impossible. You can do anything if you set your mind to it

·         That they have a school for special ed. kids

·         I can go to anyone for help. I am a human, and no one should judge

·         You have to stand up for yourself

·         To believe in yourself

·         You can ask for help in college

·         To be truthful

I Would Like to Know…

·         How to achieve goals

·         How to come forward and talk to people about my disability

·         How many school are out there like that (special ed. Schools)

·         What is Dana’s next goal in life?

·         How you physically overcome your disability

·         More what to do

·         How do you look past things?

·         More about his disability

·         How to get help

·         How the pen works

·         How he had the strength to get through that

·         How did he get out of his class?

·         What were some other problems he had to face?

·         How does he do it?

·         If he ever got bullied to a breaking point

·         How hard his life was from it

·         How to do better in school

·         What’s a good time in college to tell your college teacher?

Court House Tour

I learned…

·         How a court is like and what goes on in one. The more complicated the longer is takes to solve

·         That the jury would have to decide if the person is guilty or not guilty

·         Thank you so much to Judge Boles for speaking to our students

·         What happens during court

·         Know how this system worked

·         Can request to have a jury

·         Takes only a little bit to go through cases in college have to find specialized teachers

·         Jury duty

·         How to be a jury member

·         About how the court house works and that is  very important for all us Americans

·         Court cases are very important

·         Adoptions are also done there

·         About the court system

·         How the court house history is linked to cities and how a trial works

·         That it would be very interesting to work in the court room (learn something new everyday)

·         What happens in bigger court times

·         What a jury does

·         How the court works X5

·         How everything works in court, who does what in court and the whole process

·         The  process of a criminal civil court

·         About being a judge and where the juries go

·         I learned the jobs as the clerk, DA, and defendant 

·         How the court room works and what to do in the court room, the functions of the court. What cross examination is, Jury duty is important, and that witnesses have to be sworn in

·         How they pick the jurors and how court works

·         How the steps of the courts go

·         The jury selection has so many different steps

I would like to know…

·         Why 12 jury members?

·         How hard it is to work as a judge. What is difficult about it?

·         Do they plan to update the court house?

·         What does the judge do before the court is in session?

·         More about how the prosecution works

·         Where the jail is

·         How many people have lied about jury duty

·         Why people with disabilities “walk”

·         How nervous do people get in the room?

·         Different kinds of courts

·         Give us an example of a case and how it goes through a court

·         What is the worst case the judge has had to do?

·         How does the jury work?

·         More about how the system works

·         God/Court separate?

·         How long do you work

·         How long can this process go on?

Moving on up: Student Services

I learned…

·         Will pay for good note taker. Talk to the teacher before the project or test is supposed to be done to get more time

·         That once you get into college, teachers will not come and find you

·         More about college

·         That it is against the law to ask if you have a disability

·         That tutors are part of the student fees. Tutors are there for all students, not just those with learning disabilities. Have to ask for resources. Against law to ask if person has a disability

·         Know what to do once I go to college

·         Tutors are free

·         How the college system works

·         To always ask for accommodations

·         That the only time they get points in on test and midterm paper

·         College is harder, but easier

·         They do not change things for students in college. They only allow accommodations

·         You need to take notes, teacher does not give them

·         How to get help in college and get things you need

·         You can get help with your disability

·         Tutors are free, even if you have a learning disability. If you don’t get what you need in school, they can help. If your teacher doesn’t help…they fire them for you

·         Speak up

·         That I still need to advocate for myself and how hard college can be

·         How college works (explained very well)

·         What to say to colleges and what not to say

·         That in college classes, you have to meet some standards like everyone else, help with accommodations, no modifications, find them to tell about SLD

·         Service available after high school

·         That you don’t get the same help as you did

·         How to study for tests in college

·         About colleges and how to apply

·         To take college at your own pace and maybe give yourself a break from school

·         What accommodations I can have in college

·         How online classes are bad, you can’t just leave, study on your own time, talk to your academic adviser before making class decision, tutors are free

·         That after high school, college teachers can’t ask you if you have a learning disability, even if you know it

·         You have to speak up

·         I like knowing that I can get help in jobs or in college.

I would like to know…

·         What’s in the vault?

·         How to come forward and ask the teacher

·         How do you apply?

·         When it is a good time to talk to teachers about your specific disorders

·         If I don’t have a reading accommodation

·         The total cost per semester at UWRF

·         What are colleges looking for

·         More on how to study in college

·         How much do you get for extended test

·         How much is each class? How many credits do you need?

·         How to decide which college to go to

·         Kinds of information that are really important

·         Have proof that this is what I need to succeed

·         About how much do books cost?

·         How do you apply

·         What do you do if you have a very bad disability

·         How I would tell a teacher that I have a disability

·         Online class needs more time like normal classes

It’s Your Money: Personal Finances

I learned…

·         Credit cards are good and adds to your score. Keep a record of transactions. Debit cards come out of account

·         That you could bring your birth certificate to open a checking account

·         It’s easier to save money than it is to spend it

·         Photo ID is needed to open an account

·         Checking and savings checking

·         Online banking

·         About checks

·         Keep your money safe

·         How online banking works

·         About the banking process

·         How to go about getting a loan for a business

·         Using cash is better than using a credit card

·         How to correctly use a card and manage out money and ways to prevent identity theft

·         There is online banking…there

·         There are many options at banks

·         How to open a checking account

·         What to do when I get a credit card and have financial stuff to deal with

·         How to keep my identity from being stolen

·         How to deal with baking

·         About how easy someone can take identity cards

·         How easy to fraud

·         About identity theft

·         How to set up a banking account

·         About credit and debit cards and checking accounts, and savings accounts

·         Budgeting, interest guidelines, using credit and debit cards

·         How to deal with your money

·         Different positions work within the bank systems. How credit cards work

·         The better credit score you have, the more money you will get

·         How to open a bank account

·         How to open a checking account and what comes with it

·         Do not rob the banks. Police station is right by it

·         Better save then to spend. Pay yourself first

I want to know…

·         How to make money

·         Do you have to have a certain amount of money in the bank at all times?

·         Where is the money kept?

·         More on how to use checks and keep a good budget to stay at a good credit score

·         How to get 100% interest

·         More on credit cards

·         How to keep track of things easily

·         How will I go about doing it?

·         How do you change banks?

·        Do you have security deposit boxes?

·         Where do they store the money now?

·         What happens if you get your identity stolen?

·         A little more credit scoring

·         What the fee is to sign up

·         How do student loans work

·         More about how I would pay bills and taxes

·         Do you have security deposit boxes?

·         Why do people use credit cards?

·         Credit cards vs. debit cards

G.P.S.: Gadgets For Personal Success

I learned…

·         About expensive equipment that helps you with school x2

·         How to use a smart pen that records your voice x14

·         How they can identify the right technology to help disabled people and the departments x2

·         How to use new technology and gadgets properly x8

o   Specifically the ipad

·         There is technology to help people learn in a better way x4

·         Work applications

·         What GPS means

·         New technology to take notes with x3

·         The smart pen needs smart paper

·         From the visual information and lots of examples

I would like to know…

·         If I could get this equipment for free

·         How much the notebook costs

·         How many gadgets are there to help people

·         How much it would help me if I got one

·         Where can you buy these gadgets x5

·         How to use a smart pen further x3

·         How much these gadgets cost x4

·         All the different kinds of technology x2

·         How we can use it in class and will teachers allow it

·         About jobs

·         More about the notebook and how the dots help it work x2

·         How many GB are on each pen

·         How do you use a kindle

Hired or Fired

I learned…

·         How to apply for a job x4

·         How to fill out applications x2

·         Try to pick up two applications to different places

o   One for the one you want most and a back-up

·         How the company helps people find jobs x2

·         What is the good and bad for getting a job

·         How to act in an interview and what to wear and say x12

·         What employers are looking for

·         If you can’t put something on the application put N/A

·         How to get a job and keep it x3

·         What not to do in an interview

·         Be 5 to 10 minutes early for an interview

·         Be prepared for the interview and don’t bring your cell phone in with you

·         Don’t write bad things on facebook

I would like to know…

·         What is the best way to get applications (internet, in person, etc.)

·         What not to wear at an interview

·         When is the best time to apply for a job x2

·         How you send an application

·         What to do if the application is online

·         How would I know if my application is looked up online

·         How do employers look at applications

·         Act out what to do and what not to do

·         What jobs are out there

·         What is most important for an interview

·         What are some fun jobs

·         Do you need copies for the interview – of what and how many

Young Adult Panel

I learned…

·         How to live outside school with a disability

·         How to work with a disability

·         That you have to be an advocate yourself to get what you need x8

·         If you need accommodations at school talk to disability services and your instructor

·         That the smallest thing can sometimes cause a big challenge

·         Life can be a struggle but you have to push through even when it’s really tough x3

·         Use your references

·         People are willing to help x3

·         How you get help at college

·         That I can do anything x2

·         Others have gone through what we are going through and have gone to college and gotten jobs x4

·         Different life stories of individuals x2

·         How to manage your disability

·         Never to give up x2

·         Everyone needs help

·         Even kids with disabilities can get into college and get around campus x2

I would like to know…

·         Does every school past high school have a disability services

·         How hard is college in general

·         How do you push things past you in life to make it easier x2

·         How their diseases/disabilities affect them

·         How did they get the help they needed

·         What will happen in college

·         More information on college in general

·         How long did they go to college

·         How much more does it cost for an LD student to go to school

Overall

I really liked…

·         Eating

·         That I was there with people that have the same disability as me x2

·         The court house tour x13

·         Employability skills

·         It’s your money: personal finance skills x3

·         M & I bank was very informative and helpful x3

·         Real world scenarios

·         Facts about job success

·         We got to see how the real world worked

·         That it was a lot better than last year

·         G.P.S. group x9

·         Hired or Fired Group x2

·         Learning new information x2

·         How this prepared me for college and after college and what I need to do to be successful

·         Everything about the day x3

Next time I would like to learn more about …

·         How to deal with my disability

·         What jobs are best for people with a learning disability

·         Accommodations for college and after college x3

·         The overall costs of all the resources

·         Jobs and career options for your life

·         Other individual’s jobs

·         Where the jail is

·         The court system x3

·         College x3

·         Anything that is new and updated x2

·         Different kinds of programs to help with school

·         Loans

·         The kind of cases the court gets and how long they take

·         How to get your own house

·         Employment help

·         G.P.S.