Genesis: Connecting School and Retirement Communities
Bridging Learning, Employability and Citizenship Through a Single Partnership
How a High School Career Academy, A Special Needs Career and Transition Program And a Retirement Community Learned to Share Resources, Enhance Opportunities for Work, and Enrich their Respective Communities
Parties to the Partnership, Beneficiaries and Contributors
Fairfax County Public Schools
• West Potomac Academy
• Career and Transition Services And
Greenspring Village
During this past school year, Fairfax County Public Schools Career and Transition Services Department (CTS), and West Potomac Academy (WPA), proposed to enter into a partnership with Greenspring Village (GSV), a retirement community. Several meetings have taken place with representatives of all three organizations. The main question was "Do we have compelling reasons to create a partnership?" What elements in the identity and function of these organizations has created a need to share human and material resources that will benefit all three groups? What are these three organizations about, and how will their association mutually benefit them?
Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) is a large school system comprising over 160 schools, including 24 high schools. It is situated in northern Virginia, south and west of Washington, D.C. It is a school system that epitomizes diversity in terms of its ethnic, racial, and socioeconomic distribution of students and residents. Most of the students who graduate from high school continue their education at 4 year colleges, while a substantial number attend two-year colleges and enter the work force. Of the 48, 000 plus high school students, approximately 3500 juniors and seniors choose to take elective courses in specialized and technical areas that are offered at geographically distributed "career academies".
West Potomac Academy is one of those specialized programs that offer's students from all FCPS high schools elective options that are career focused in the areas of Communication and the Arts, and Health and Human Services. Currently, there are programs in Graphic Imaging and Design, Television Production, Dance, Dental Careers, Occupational Therapy/Physical Therapy, and Criminal Justice. All of these programs have an emphasis on providing students "real world", career related opportunities such as job shadowing, internships, speakers in the classroom, etc.
FCPS also provides career and transition services to students who have an Indi vidual Educational Plan (IEP) through a designated representative that is assigned a specific caseload. Career and Transition Services (CTS) has developed a model for training students and determining the level of employability and appropriate compensation for students. Using the New Generations model, as the process is called, CTS has been instrumental in placing students ,in a number of paid and volunteer jobs at Greenspring Village, a retirement community in Springfield, Virginia.
Greenspring Village (GSV) is a new development in the area. It is one of a number of facilities in several states created by the same builder, John Erickson over the last 20 years. In addition to providing quality retirement homes and services, Greenspring Village is committed to creating outreach for its staff and residents into the community at large. Furthermore, it wants to create
partnerships in learning with nearby schools. Their hope is not only to have a supply of trained and dedicated employees from the pool of high school students, but also to engage their people in the school culture, and visa versa.
In summary, as we looked at our respective organizational goals, programs and operations, Greenspring Village, Career and Transition Services, and West Potomac Academy realized that all segments of the school organizations and the retirement communities could contribute and benefit from exploring and developing a partnership which would enable us to share resources, expertise and an available labor force.
Essential Elements
In order for this partnership to work, students, school staff members, the GSV residents, the GSV staff must buy into the process, and the school system. Each party must acknowledge that this process will have value for its goals and purposes. Since this is a "cooperative" process, the partnership will only be as effective as the investment and continued commitment that each party contributes.
Assessment of the Program and Measuring Success
Partnership organizations have agreed to assess the effectiveness of the partnership at the end of each school year. In addition, two committees have been established to administer the partnership and to address on going issues. A coordination committee is currently meeting on a monthly basis to write the partnership agreement and to plan implementation activities. This committee will monitor the development of the partnership. A steering committee, which is already in operation to deal with the existing student volunteers and paid workers, will continue to review the labor needs of GSV and discuss how CTS and WPA students can help meet those needs.
The success of the partnership will be determined by the quantity and the quality of the interactions among the parties. Students, GSV residents, and staff members will be polled about the value and effectiveness of the partnership at the end of the year, and feedback will be sought on ways to improve the partnership.
Potential Impact and Replication
Since the partnership is in its "pre-natal" phase, we can only speak to the potential impact we hope this partnership will have.
We expect that the number of volunteer and paid student opportunities will provide lots of career related observations for students. We hope that teenagers working with senior citizens will generate genuine opportunities for learning and understanding intergenerational differences among people. In the best scenario, this process will result in more people more meaningfully involved with caring people around them.
We project that by combining resources each party will conduct a more vital program for the institution it serves. In short, we expect that learning will be enhanced and that services for the retirement community will be facilitated by the partnership.
America is experiencing an increase in the number of baby boomers retiring in residential communities like Greenspring Village. What we learn from this partnership model will-help us determine the need it serves and the extent it could be replicated on a larger scale in any community where the same needs and benefits are perceived. Ideally, it is our hope that the results of our efforts in this partnership would positively transform the career related education of the participating students and would enrich the lives of all who are involved.
Authors:
Manny Bartolotta,
Career Experience Specialist, West Potomac Academy, Fairfax County Public Schools,
6500 Quander Road
Alexandria, Virginia, USA 22307
703-718-2753
703-718-2760 fax
esbartolottap@fcps.ed
Theresa Bertoski
Greenspring Village Retirement Community Outreach and Volunteer Coordinator
Greenspring Village
7470 Spring Village Drive
Springfield, VA 22150
703-313-7800, ext. 4780
703-923-4651-fax
tberkoskl@ericksorimail.com
Judy Larsen
Career and Transition Services Representative, Fairfax County Public Schools
Virginina Hills Administrative Center
6520 Diana Lane
Alexandria, VA 223 10
703-329-7311
Judy. Larsen@fcps. edu
Bridging Learning, Employability and Citizenship Through a Single Partnership
How a High School Career Academy, A Special Needs Career and Transition Program And a Retirement Community Learned to Share Resources, Enhance Opportunities for Work, and Enrich their Respective Communities
Parties to the Partnership, Beneficiaries and Contributors
Fairfax County Public Schools
• West Potomac Academy
• Career and Transition Services And
Greenspring Village
During this past school year, Fairfax County Public Schools Career and Transition Services Department (CTS), and West Potomac Academy (WPA), proposed to enter into a partnership with Greenspring Village (GSV), a retirement community. Several meetings have taken place with representatives of all three organizations. The main question was "Do we have compelling reasons to create a partnership?" What elements in the identity and function of these organizations has created a need to share human and material resources that will benefit all three groups? What are these three organizations about, and how will their association mutually benefit them?
Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) is a large school system comprising over 160 schools, including 24 high schools. It is situated in northern Virginia, south and west of Washington, D.C. It is a school system that epitomizes diversity in terms of its ethnic, racial, and socioeconomic distribution of students and residents. Most of the students who graduate from high school continue their education at 4 year colleges, while a substantial number attend two-year colleges and enter the work force. Of the 48, 000 plus high school students, approximately 3500 juniors and seniors choose to take elective courses in specialized and technical areas that are offered at geographically distributed "career academies".
West Potomac Academy is one of those specialized programs that offer's students from all FCPS high schools elective options that are career focused in the areas of Communication and the Arts, and Health and Human Services. Currently, there are programs in Graphic Imaging and Design, Television Production, Dance, Dental Careers, Occupational Therapy/Physical Therapy, and Criminal Justice. All of these programs have an emphasis on providing students "real world", career related opportunities such as job shadowing, internships, speakers in the classroom, etc.
FCPS also provides career and transition services to students who have an Indi vidual Educational Plan (IEP) through a designated representative that is assigned a specific caseload. Career and Transition Services (CTS) has developed a model for training students and determining the level of employability and appropriate compensation for students. Using the New Generations model, as the process is called, CTS has been instrumental in placing students ,in a number of paid and volunteer jobs at Greenspring Village, a retirement community in Springfield, Virginia.
Greenspring Village (GSV) is a new development in the area. It is one of a number of facilities in several states created by the same builder, John Erickson over the last 20 years. In addition to providing quality retirement homes and services, Greenspring Village is committed to creating outreach for its staff and residents into the community at large. Furthermore, it wants to create
partnerships in learning with nearby schools. Their hope is not only to have a supply of trained and dedicated employees from the pool of high school students, but also to engage their people in the school culture, and visa versa.
In summary, as we looked at our respective organizational goals, programs and operations, Greenspring Village, Career and Transition Services, and West Potomac Academy realized that all segments of the school organizations and the retirement communities could contribute and benefit from exploring and developing a partnership which would enable us to share resources, expertise and an available labor force.
Essential Elements
In order for this partnership to work, students, school staff members, the GSV residents, the GSV staff must buy into the process, and the school system. Each party must acknowledge that this process will have value for its goals and purposes. Since this is a "cooperative" process, the partnership will only be as effective as the investment and continued commitment that each party contributes.
Assessment of the Program and Measuring Success
Partnership organizations have agreed to assess the effectiveness of the partnership at the end of each school year. In addition, two committees have been established to administer the partnership and to address on going issues. A coordination committee is currently meeting on a monthly basis to write the partnership agreement and to plan implementation activities. This committee will monitor the development of the partnership. A steering committee, which is already in operation to deal with the existing student volunteers and paid workers, will continue to review the labor needs of GSV and discuss how CTS and WPA students can help meet those needs.
The success of the partnership will be determined by the quantity and the quality of the interactions among the parties. Students, GSV residents, and staff members will be polled about the value and effectiveness of the partnership at the end of the year, and feedback will be sought on ways to improve the partnership.
Potential Impact and Replication
Since the partnership is in its "pre-natal" phase, we can only speak to the potential impact we hope this partnership will have.
We expect that the number of volunteer and paid student opportunities will provide lots of career related observations for students. We hope that teenagers working with senior citizens will generate genuine opportunities for learning and understanding intergenerational differences among people. In the best scenario, this process will result in more people more meaningfully involved with caring people around them.
We project that by combining resources each party will conduct a more vital program for the institution it serves. In short, we expect that learning will be enhanced and that services for the retirement community will be facilitated by the partnership.
America is experiencing an increase in the number of baby boomers retiring in residential communities like Greenspring Village. What we learn from this partnership model will-help us determine the need it serves and the extent it could be replicated on a larger scale in any community where the same needs and benefits are perceived. Ideally, it is our hope that the results of our efforts in this partnership would positively transform the career related education of the participating students and would enrich the lives of all who are involved.
Authors:
Manny Bartolotta,
Career Experience Specialist, West Potomac Academy, Fairfax County Public Schools,
6500 Quander Road
Alexandria, Virginia, USA 22307
703-718-2753
703-718-2760 fax
esbartolottap@fcps.ed
Theresa Bertoski
Greenspring Village Retirement Community Outreach and Volunteer Coordinator
Greenspring Village
7470 Spring Village Drive
Springfield, VA 22150
703-313-7800, ext. 4780
703-923-4651-fax
tberkoskl@ericksorimail.com
Judy Larsen
Career and Transition Services Representative, Fairfax County Public Schools
Virginina Hills Administrative Center
6520 Diana Lane
Alexandria, VA 223 10
703-329-7311
Judy. Larsen@fcps. edu