A Visit to Hamilton Career Center

Last week I was able to observe in our Transition to the Real World (TRW) class at Hamilton Career Center. When I entered the classroom all students were at computers working on an assignment that required them to find information about state agencies that provide services to individuals in our community. The teacher monitored individual progress and provided guiding questions to help students understand the importance of knowing where to go to get assistance. Afterwards, we took a short walk to the newly renovated Home Center located on the HCC campus. The purpose of this facility is to provide learning experiences to our 18-21 year old students with disabilities to help them become independent and contributing members of their local community. They are learning basic housekeeping, maintaining a house structure, demonstrating safety in using home appliances, maintaining a garden and shrubbery, and identifying mechanical and electrical elements of a home such as an HVAC system and breaker box. The teacher of this program received a grant to finacially support his vision for enabling our students to achieve competitive employment, improving their social skills, improving daily living skills, and enabling students to access appropriate community agencies. This program is further evidence that leadership is present throughout our district as teachers take the initiative to make things happen.