Project PEACE Community Collaborative: Colonial Heights
May 8, 2025
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Welcome & Agenda
Richard
Time | Agenda Item
5:45 - 6:00 PM | Grab a plate of food!
6:00 – 6:10 PM | Welcome and Agenda Review – Richard
6:10 – 6:25 PM | Icebreaker Activities (the photo on my phone) – Richard
6:25 – 6:30 PM | Update on Activities in Colonial Heights – Dan
6:30 – 6:40 PM | Community Collaborative One: Model and Feedback – Seb
6:40 – 6:50 PM | Landscape Analysis Results – Molly
6:50 – 6:55 PM | Model & Results Crossover – Seb
6:55 – 7:00 PM | Break
7:00 – 7:10 PM | Review of Discussion Topics/Pre-ETS – Seb and Michaela
7:10 – 7:40 PM | Small Group Discussion on Topics- Pass the Poster!
7:40 – 7:50 PM | Large Group Discussion
7:50 – 8:00 PM | Wrap-Up and Gift-Cards
Photo Activity
Take out your phone.
Pull up the last photo you took (if appropriate, lol), That represents something about your experience with work.
Respond to the following questions:
What is this a photo of?
Why did you take this photo?
What does this photo say about you? Your experiences? Your preferences with work?
Richard
Transition Updates: Colonial Heights High School
Dan
Community Collaborative 1 Overview
First jobs and why they were important
Review transition models, photovoice, student employment portfolios
Group work: transition activities that lead to employment outcomes
Seb
Community Collaborative Meet 2
Recap, Refresh, Remind
Seb
Emerging Transition Model: Colonial Heights
Seb
What would you
Add
Change
rearrange
Who is NOT represented in the model?
[Diagram: Colonial Heights Emerging Transition Plan]
Elementary & Middle School Employment Preparation → Student-Led Enterprise (employment tasks, interpersonal skills, choice) → Group WBL in Community (visit and learn about businesses, try 1–2 job tasks) → Individual WBL in School (mentor/supervisor, job duties, job coach) → Individual WBL in Community (matches preferences, job tours, interviews, mentorship) → Employment.
Across phases: Business Development & Matching; Student Assessment & Reflection; Family Support and Participation. WBL = Work-Based Learning.
“Students will have a seamless transition from internships to the community workforce by providing support to foster independence and skill sets to use in a variety of workplace settings.”
Vision 1
“Colonial Heights High School will create lasting meaningful relationships with local businesses, community leaders and families to promise the best employment outcomes in the Virginia for our students with disabilities.”
Vision 2
Will our model help us accomplish this vision?
Seb
Colonial Heights Vision Statements
Time Travel: 2024 Community Conversations
Discussion Topics
Barriers & Strengths for employment outcomes
How can the community work together to increase employment opportunities?
What needs to be done for Colonial Heights to care about employment for people with IDD?
What do we need to do to assure that all students w IDD can participate in paid employment?
What are small, medium or large actions you can take to move employment solutions from an idea to an action?
Hopeful headline and vision statements
Seb
Community Landscape Analysis
Slide 11
Overlap and Opportunity
Colonial Heights Emerging Transition Plan
Landscape Analysis Findings and Recommendations
Seb
Let's take a break!
Richard
Purpose of the Community Collaborative
Apply your lived experience and perspectives to recommend activities and processes to improve transition to employment for students with IDD
To develop a plan for community employment to be collaboratively reviewed and revised.
Support the implementation of the plan
Sample Transition Plan
Richard
[Sample Transition Plan diagram]
Building Foundations → Starting Young → Photovoice for Career Exploration and Planning → Virtual Employment Portfolios → Matching → Job Coaches & Transport → Paid Work-based Learning.
Community Engagement and Teacher Preparation span the process.
[Project PEACE infographic]
Goal: Support community collaboration to strengthen transition experiences and improve employment outcomes for youth with ID/DD as they move from school to integrated work in the community.
Partners: Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services, VCU Center on Transition Innovations, SOAR365, Virginia Department of Education, Richmond City Public Schools.
01 Middle School: Center for Family Involvement referrals; student-led enterprise.
02 Community Collaboration: Parent-to-parent meetings; DARS eligibility and referrals; work-based learning experiences.
03 High School: Youth use pictures to share employment interests, preferences and support needs; develop virtual employment portfolios.
04 Work Experience: Youth leverage employment experiences, pictures and portfolios to connect with employers; community internships and other work-based learning opportunities → Jobs in the Community!
Group Activity
Break into 3 small groups
Decide 3+ roles
Time keeper,
Recorder
Reporter
3 posters passed out; 1 for each group
Each poster addresses a different topic
Draw & write directly on the poster
Add key partners and collaborators
Add activities before, during, between or after model phases
Get specific about HOW the process will work
After 10 minutes, posters will rotate and your group will address a new topic
Report big takeaways and ideas that excite you
Topics
Plan WHERE in the model and HOW to…
Support Pre-ETS registration by families and students (Michaela intro)
Better build in student and parent ownership and voice
Support and encourage students to track, assess and reflect on their employment training (Dana intro)
Bonus. Potential emerging partnership with Parks and Recreation. Where and how could that partnership fit into the model?
Idea Summaries
What are BIG ideas that are sticking in your mind?
What from the conversation has you excited?
Next Steps
Moving forward
Power of the purse $1000
Develop and share a draft plan
Get feedback from all parties
Meet again in September
Richard