NORWICH – Job skills, real life work experience and a paycheck are just some of the benefits a group of Norwich High School’s special education students are getting out of a new cooperation between the school and CWS.
“This is a really great opportunity,” Wanda Wallace told members of the district school board Monday night, as she gave a presentation of the CWS Work Site Program she has created for the juniors, seniors and “super” seniors in her Life Skills class.
The purpose of the program, she explained, is to help students transition into the workforce after they receive their IEP diplomas.
Wallace said she first contacted Lisa Berard, vice president of Rehabilitation for Chenango ARC, about initiating the program in June, when she learned she would be teaching the class for the first time.
“We got talking and it went from there,” she said. While it took time and effort to iron out the details – as well as getting support from parents, obtaining working papers for some students and releasing medical records – but it was well worth it, according to Wallace.
“This is the perfect meshing of school to work,” she said, and a win for both organizations.
Ten of Wallace’s 13 students currently participate in the pilot program, which is a first for both Norwich and CWS. The students spend a total of three hours a week working at the contract packaging company, which is divided into two mornings a week.
Students must not only exhibit “work-appropriate” behaviors and attitudes, but they must also comply with CWS’ dress code – which includes wearing a hairnets for some jobs.
Wallace accompanies the students on each work site day, as does her teaching assistant, Terri Woodard. She described it as a “very pleasant” work environment.
“When the time is up, they don’t want to leave,” Wallace said.
Since it is a paid internship, they do receive paychecks.
“They’re getting paid piece-rate,” explained Berard, and are therefore compensated based on what they produce.
While the paychecks they receive are small, Wallace said, for many it is the first money they’ve ever earned. And in some instances, it may even be the first paycheck brought in for their family in some time.
An agreement with NBT allows the students to cash their paychecks for no fee. Wallace said each of the participants keeps their pays stubs in a folder, which she plans to use in future lessons.
Already the long-time teacher said she’s seen a change in the students.
“They are very proud,” she reported. And behaviors they are learning on the job are “translating over” into the classroom.
It is also changing their outlook on the future.
“They are really gaining confidence in that they can have a job,” Wallace explained. “They never really believed they could.”
The internship has already opened the door for one student interested in future employment at CWS, and has the potential to do the same for others, she said. If nothing else, it will be a good resume builder.
According to Wallace, parents are responding well to the internship program.
“They are on board with this,” she said, adding that some are even interested in employment opportunities at CWS for themselves.
Berard said she has issued an invitation to the students’ parents to tour the facility. Last night, she extended a similar invitation to members of the Norwich City School Board.
“We love showing off what we do,” she said with a smile.
Berard had nothing but praise for the cooperative program, which she said is in keeping with the sheltered workshop’s goal to extend their services to students in area schools.
“The students have integrated amazingly well,” she commented.
Now that Norwich has paved the way, she fully expects other districts will follow in their footsteps.
“Already the word is getting out, and we’re getting calls from other schools, Berard reported.