education - T-V-S Overcoming Challenges | Feeding Our World

Pre-ETS program continue assisting local high schools with a virtual curriculum

Oct 29, 2020 | News

In response to the dramatic changes in high school operations due to COVID-19, the TVS Pre-ETS team has been working virtually to continue assisting local high school students with job preparation skills.

The TVS Preparation for Employment Success team works with the North Carolina Department of Vocational Rehabilitation Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) program to assist students with an IEP or 504 plan in Transylvania and Henderson County High Schools. Since the beginning of the school year, Pre-ETS has worked with each high school to best allow for the easiest and safest collaboration.

TVS Pre-ETS Team Lead Jessica Casey and TVS Pre-ETS Program Specialist Montana White, have been working with almost 160 students in six separate high schools within the two counties via computer screens.

“With the semester being virtual, we have actually been able to meet with classes more often and offer extra help when students need more discussion,” said Casey. All the high schools are organized differently to best accommodate social distancing and health safety. Currently, Pre-ETS teachers are teaching a total of 24 classes and are in the process of adding one more to their schedules.

To best accommodate the virtual world, Pre-ETS teachers have changed their education tactics. In the past Pre-ETS has used games and interactive activities, which are no longer options. Instead worksheets, videos, reflections and discussions have become the daily activities.

“We have been very successful transforming our curriculum for a virtual platform,” said White. “The students are actively participating and fully engaged in our activities.”

The virtual curriculum changes have the Pre-ETS team planning some fun new experiences. Casey and White are in the beginning stages of planning virtual tours of local businesses. The tours will be recorded and posted on the students Google Classroom for students to get an idea of what working in that specific location would be like.

Looking ahead, Casey says, “we are happy and excited to deliver whatever the schools need from us as decisions are made about the Spring semester.”

TVS Celebrates National Disability Employment Awareness Month

Oct 7, 2020 | News

Brevard, NC (October 6, 2020) – TVS (Transylvania Vocational Services) today announced its participation in National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), an annual awareness campaign that takes place each October. The purpose of National Disability Employment Awareness Month is to educate about disability employment issues and celebrate the many and varied contributions of America’s workers with disabilities. This year’s theme is “Increasing Access and Opportunity.”

The history of National Disability Employment Awareness Month traces back to 1945 when Congress enacted a law declaring the first week in October each year “National Employ the Physically Handicapped Week.” In 1962, the word “physically” was removed to acknowledge the employment needs and contributions of individuals with all types of disabilities. In 1988, Congress expanded the week to a month and changed the name to National Disability Employment Awareness Month.

Click here to read the full PDF

A Glance at Disability History

Oct 7, 2020 | Helpful Resources

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) and to help honor this important month, we invite you to learn more about Disability History. The PDF provides a quick history, educational sources, and resources to continue your own research.

We invite you to also read more about our celebration of NDEAM.

New, Temporary Community Inclusion Services in Response to COVID-19

Aug 4, 2020 | News

Transylvania Vocational Services (TVS) has partnered with the North Carolina Department of Vocational Rehabilitation (NCDVR) to offer a new service called Community Inclusion. This service was created by the NCDVR in May as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The purpose of the Community Inclusion Service is to provide current individuals whom are supported by Vocational Rehabilitation with a way to navigate new challenges within the community and local employment industry. Recipients are supported by a TVS Employment Specialist through individualized education that is customized to the needs of each individual.

“The biggest benefit of these services is that individuals are able to see how all aspects of life can and do affect employment,” said TVS Employment Specialist Megan Pilley.

The Community Inclusion Service focuses on four main categories, all designed to help an individual adapt to changes in their community or job. These categories include: 1) Job Preparation, 2) Disability Awareness, 3) Health, Safety and Wellness, and 4) Independent Living.

Individuals are able to choose from a wide variety of topics within each category, based on what is most useful to their personal lives. These subcategories cover topics highly relevant to issues surfaced by COVID-19 such as how to conduct a virtual or phone interview and how to access additional resources through telehealth services.

“By awareness being brought to these areas, we expect to see individuals becoming more involved in the community and have confidence regardless of the current lifestyle changes,” Pilley said.

To qualify for the service an individual must have an active case with NCDVR. A NCDVR counselor determines eligibility after a person applies for the service and approved individuals can receive up to 50 hours of inclusion service trainings.

This service is being offered for a limited time and is only expected to remain in effect until the end of the year.

For more information please call your local Vocational Rehabilitation office, Brevard: 828-883-2190 or Hendersonville 828-692-9184.

Dogwood Health Trust grant allows for TVS Pre-ETS teachers transportation

Mar 23, 2020 | News

Transylvania Vocational Services (TVS) is thrilled to announce that their organization has been awarded a $25,000 grant from the Dogwood Health Trust. The Immediate Opportunities and Needs (ION) grant has been used to purchase a new vehicle to transport TVS Preparation for Employment Success program teachers to multiple high schools.

“We are grateful for the generosity of Dogwood Trust in supporting our efforts to assist students in Transylvania and Henderson counties,” said TVS Program Director Carla Hill. “This grant will help in better preparing students to transition from high school to secondary education or into a career.”

This program offers services designed to aid students with disabilities, ages 14 – 22 with an IEP or a 504 plan, transition from school to career pathways. Classroom and work-based instruction and training is provided in Transylvania and Henderson County High Schools.

The TVS program, Preparation for Employment Success, is in partnership with the North Carolina Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services (DVRS) program Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS), and with local participating high schools. Since TVS initiated its program one year ago, it has grown to serve 140 students in seven high schools.

The goal of the program is to provide students who experience barriers to employment with skills and knowledge to attain living wage employment and to help them transition successfully from high school to post-secondary options or into the workforce.

The two TVS Pre-ETS instructors, Jessica Casey and Montana McPherson, teach job exploration counseling, self-advocacy, work-based learning experiences, counseling on post-secondary training options, and workplace readiness training.

The purchase of a new vehicle will allow TVS teachers to travel safely and reliably between the high schools.

The ION grant program from Dogwood Health Trust, has awarded more than $3.7 million to a diverse range of 259 nonprofit and government agencies over the past year. The program reaches every county and the Qualla Boundary in western North Carolina.

Dogwood Health Trust is a North Carolina Nonprofit corporation with the sole purpose of dramatically improving the health and well-being of all people and communities of western North Carolina. Dogwood Health Trust became operational upon the sale of Mission Health’s assets to HCA Healthcare and is the recipient of the net proceeds of the sale.

To learn more about the Dogwood Health Trust please visit https://dogwoodhealthtrust.org/