Students at Main Street School will receive an opportunity to learn work skills on the school’s new printing press this fall.
The Main Street School specializes in special education through collaborative learning. The school fosters self-advocacy and independence among its students including teaching skills that will serve them after they graduate.
In the fall, the school will begin a printing press class for its Life Skills Alternative Cooperation Education Services, or LSACE, and high school students. These students will have to apply, interview and be selected to work in the new printing lab. Once selected they will design, print, laminate and process orders for the school’s teachers and staff.
LSACE provides transitional support to students ages 18-21. The program teaches students independent living skills, social skills, career and employment skills, community based education and functional academics, according to the school’s website.
“Sometimes it’s not appropriate — always — to access CETC (Career Elevation and Technology Center) just due to their varying disabilities and and access,” said Gina Trujillo, principal of Main Street School. “So we wanted to do something in house where we didn’t have to transport kids.”
At Main Street School, teachers use several visual aids in their classrooms and some students require visual schedules to support their learning. All of this requires several hours of work outside of the classroom for teachers.
Trujillo saw an opportunity to save teachers time while providing an opportunity for students to learn job skills.
The school staff met with the press manufacturer and found a press system that is easy to use and provides several learning opportunities. The school hopes the press will meet not only its printing needs but the needs of other schools in the district.
Students will not only learn how to use the press but how to market their wares and services, provide customer service, track inventory needs, troubleshoot project requests and more.
Not only will students be compensated for their time but they will also earn badges that they can add to their resume that signify that they have learned the skills in a particular area of study.
Much like courses taught at the Innovation Center, Main Street School will partner with local printers to creat a mentorship program for students participating in the program.
Trujillo said the team at Main Street School is still in the process of figuring out all the details for the program but has already identified the need to expand its connections with the larger community. The students will participate in growing a sponsorship base for the program to fund ongoing material costs and needs. She also hopes more businesses team up with the school to provide a broader scope of mentorship opportunities for the students.
