This school year, Morgan County High School’s special education department has launched the ELITE Academy, a transition program for adult students to gain valuable job, social, and independent living skills.
Special education teacher Sonya Meyer told the Morgan County Board of Education on Feb. 10 that she had long dreamed of a true transition program for 18 to 22-year-old students who participate in the alternative diploma program Georgia Alternate Assessment (GAA).
Through the GAA, students can stay in school until they are 22, which means students can spend up to eight years at the high school.
Meyer said MCHS didn’t have a set curriculum in the past for students beyond. After students completed the past core requirements in grades nine through 12, they would continue their community involvement (CBI) while repeating elective classes they took in previous years.
“They rolled right along, kind of doing the same thing,” Meyer said. “They needed more, and we were excited to give them more.”
Enter the ELITE Academy, which is designed to make the “second four years” better.
The program, focused on “Education, Living Independently, Transition and Employment,” helps students prepare for life beyond high school and develops them into employable young adults with necessary life skills. Students participate in semester-long internship-like employment opportunities in the community while learning a custom life skills curriculum from the Council for Exceptional Children.
Teachers noted that the employment opportunities are different from those at the CBI. Students work actual job shifts, report to job supervisors, and manage their own transportation and job responsibilities.
Six ELITE Academy students currently work at local businesses, including Madison Assisted Living, Amelia’s Apparel, Madison Fitness, Empire Mills, Farmview Market, and ChopHouse.
“I like it because it’s fun, and I like the people,” Lilly, who works at ChopHouse, told the BOE. “I enjoy doing this [job] because it helps me make more friends and helps me be more independent.”
Meyer encouraged the community to interact with Lilly and other students at job sites.
“If you see them anywhere at these places, speak to them, talk to them, tell them what a good job they’re doing. They are really doing a great job,” she said.
Teachers plan to expand the program to allow students to work more shifts per week and to expand the program’s use of Morgan Transit, which students often use to get to and from job sites. Life skill instruction will also be developed, with a community member leading a series of cooking classes focused on healthy recipes that students can make independently.
A cookie crawl will be held on March 29 in downtown Madison to benefit the ELITE Academy.
Anyone interested can pick up an empty box and a map on March 29 at Town Park from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and walk around downtown to collect cookies from more than 20 participating businesses. Pre-filled boxes will also be available for purchase, which can be picked up during the cookie crawl.
To preorder your box or to purchase a pre-filled box, visit osp.osmsinc.com/p/PC504503.
You can also purchase a box on the day of the event at Town Park, but MCHS recommends preordering boxes since the number of boxes is limited.