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General Description
The vocational program consists of two parts, in-school and community training.
Training begins at a young age and continues through the length of the student's stay at River Hills. Much vocational training
is done within the student's home-room and consists of activities such as cleaning, wrapping silver, folding laundry, pushing
wheelchairs, finding areas within the building, following directions, etc.
Adaptive equipment is available to facilitate
the use of tools by the physically involved and lower functioning students. Switches, augmentative communication devices,
symbol card schedules, and modification of existing tools enable the more involved students to participate in activities up
to their ability.
As the students grow older and progress through the programming they become more involved in the
vocational room and its specific training programs. These consists of skill training in janitorial and dietary areas, recycling
paper, cutting bulletin board letters/shapes for AEA 7 Media, shredding, collating and assembling mailings, addressing mailings
(KUNI program guides, etc.), and other activities. Although many skills are taught, the main emphasis is on developing the
habits and attitudes that will enable the student to obtain and keep a job after graduation. These include following directions,
doing good quality work, doing an acceptable quantity of work, accepting criticisms both positive and negative, good attendance
and punctuality, and other attributes that make a good worker.
Goals
To prepare our adult
workers to become contributing members of the community work force.
To further community awareness of the ability
and needs of citizens with mental disabilities.
Curriculum
Each student worker placed at
a community based training site has participated in an instructional program consisting of the following:
* Functional
academics
* Socialization
* Independent living
* Community mobility
* Pre-vocational skills
* Vocational skills
Community Training Sites
Training sites have been established
at a variety of businesses in the community. Employers provide training for a specific job. The student worker functions as
a regular employee for the training period. Training positions are paid or unpaid positions depending upon the agreement made
between the employer and the school.
Following is a partial list of past and present work sites within our community
and the jobs at each site:
Aelmans Greenhouse: cleaning plastic plant trays, helping fill pots with soil mix.
Hansen
Elementary School: mopping floors, trash pick up, other janitorial tasks
Earl May Garden Center: pricing items, cleaning
store, working in Christmas tree lot, display assembly/disassembly
Covenant Medical Center:
Dietary- salad
preparation, tray line, cleaning dishes
Housekeeping-recycling, trash pick up, vacuuming
Laundry-folding,
sorting, delivering
Immanuel Lutheran School: cleaning lunchroom, cleaning church
Bernie's Market: recycling
cans, cleaning store
University of Northern Iowa:
Housekeeping- janitorial in campus buildings
Transportation-
washing school vehicles
Grounds- planting, trash pick up
Arby's: bussing tables, food preparation
Metropolitan
Transit Authority (MET): cleaning busses
Diner Down Under: food line preparation, serving of lunches, bussing tables
Rosewood Estate:
Dietary- washing dishes, cleaning kitchen and dining room
Housekeeping- vacuuming,
washing walls and windows, trash pick up
St. Patrick School:
Dietary- food preparation, dish washing, lunchroom
set up and clean up
Janitorial- recycling, bus cleaning, equipment cleaning
Waterloo Chamber of Commerce:
bagging " My Waterloo Day" buttons
Expo: janitorial
AEA 7 Child Find: janitorial
Cedar Falls Utilities
(CFU)- janitorial, clerical
Training Period
As the students grow in age and abilities they
become involved in training at different work sites within the community in a non-paid work experience in which the student
works alongside an employee of the site doing much the same work. As with the on-going training at school the training in
the community stresses the development of good work habits and attitudes that will enable the student to maintain a job upon
his/her graduation. To assess the student's progress at the site, an evaluation form is completed by the site-supervisor at
the end of the eight week training period (length of the training period, number of days per week, and amount of time per
day at the work site is negotiable). The work experience instructor (WEI) also makes weekly site visits.
As a general
rule, but not always, the work sites provide the supervision and training of the students, though the WEI is in weekly or
daily contact as needed. Job coaches are also available for work sites dependent upon the site and the students placed .
Staff
River Hills personnel are available to an employer for the following:
* Information
* Development
of new training sites.
* Assistance in training methods
* Liaison between employer and school
Comments
from Participating Businesses and Organizations
Participating in the River Hills Work Experience Vocational
Training Program has been a successful and totally satisfying experience to say the least.
We have found the students
to be very cooperative, pleasant and eager to learn. The students have helped create and maintain an awareness within our
other employees of the capabilities of those with a disability. This also helps maintain an informed awareness within the
community.
We are fortunate to observe the smiling faces of success which can only help establish future vocational
opportunities. We feel the program should be continued, expanded, and utilized!
Harrison H. Aelmans; Aelmans Greenhouse
We are very happy to have students from River Hills working at our church and school for their work-study program.
They have been cordial and friendly and we like to think they have been well accepted here. It is good for our students and
adults to realize that there are such programs for the handicapped and that we can have a part in the development of these
students. We look forward to a long future of mutual benefit.
Pastor Gregory Barth; Immanuel Lutheran Church &
School
The River Hills Vocational Training students have worked as custodians, groundskeepers and garage attendants
at the University's Physical Plant Department. I hope the program has been as rewarding for the students as it has been enriching
for our employees. I believe that the tasks these students learn to master in their time with us, gives them a sense of accomplishment
and fosters ride in their performance. UNI is proud to be a part of this program.
Bill McKinley, Manager; Building
Service; University of Northern Iowa
The River Hills Vocational Training Program has been a valuable experience for
our employees as well as for the students. We anticipate many more rewarding experiences as we continue the program.
Sister
Jane Hermus; Director of Dietary; Covenant Medical Center
Covenant's involvement with the River Hills training program
has been rewarding to our employees, visitors and patients. It has helped all of us to gain new insights into each other's
worlds, whether it be normal or handicapped. We look forward to a continuing involvement in this fine program, for it is a
challenge and a rewarding experience for all of us.
John Secor; Assistant Director, Environmental Services; Covenant
Medical Center
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