John Engelhardt, an educator in a program at Council Rock High School North, teaches students with special needs important vocational skills to prepare them for their careers, writes Jo Ciavaglia for the Bucks County Courier Times.
The program is titled ACHIEVE, or “Achieving Confidence, Happiness, Independence, Education and Vocational Training through Experiences,” and is one of many NOVA programs designed to help young adults.
NOVA, a nonprofit victim advocacy agency based in Jamison, created the Smart Healthy Appropriate Relationship Education, or SHARE, program ten years ago to help better prepare those with special needs.
Through SHARE, older teens and young adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities learn how to recognize red flag behaviors, develop appropriate responses, and assert their needs.
In the 10-week classroom-based program, two NOVA counselors meet with participants, hold discussions, and lead exercises through real-life scenarios.
SHARE programs like ACHIEVE have been offered in several Bucks County school districts and in the community. The Next Step Programs in Doylestown, which offers skill-building and social groups, was the most recent addition.
“Not a single student has ever opted out of this program,” Engelhardt said. “They get excited about it.”
Read more about the SHARE program and how it’s helping young adults around the county in the Bucks County Courier Times.
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