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/