Latest news with #TransitionLearningCenter
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
TAP grants to help TLC teach job, life skills
Apr. 29—Teachers at the Transition Learning Center received a number of grants from the Education Foundation that will help students acquire a variety of life skills. The foundation's Teacher Assistance Program grants go up to $1,000. Karla Montalvo, technology teacher at TLC, received a grant for $1,000 — which she used $940 of. Her grant was for an Educational Classroom Systems card. It's a simulated debit/credit card system for educational purposes, its website said. Montalvo said it will teach students to budget and they can check their account balances and pay for things as though it was a regular card. "I also got kiosk stands for iPads, so that way our students can check in and out while they're here. They can also use it as sort of like an ATM to check their balance. It's really cool," she added. Jessica Erwin, who teaches life skills and homesteading/gardening got a $994 grant for chickens and everything that goes along with caring for and raising them. "Part of the reason is because eggs are so expensive, but they can also go to our kitchen that goes along with ... gardening," Erwin said. They were about to harvest their first vegetables from the garden. Having grown up on a farm, Erwin said this instills routine into the students' day. They have to do a predator check in the morning to make sure nothing has breached the fence. Then they have to gather the eggs. "It's a schedule every single day just like they would have at a job," Erwin said. "These are living things so they have to check the chickens every day." They will start with New Hampshire reds because they are a docile chicken, Erwin said. Including summer, TLC ends July 17 and Erwin lives nearby so she can check on things. "I think it will help them in that way that it gives them a routine every single day," Erwin said. Everyone will have a duty to take care of the chickens. The eggs will go to the kitchen and the kitchen will use them to cook for everyone, Erwin said. Michelle Whetstone, who teaches culinary skills, got a grant for students to earn the food handler certification and some equipment for the kitchen so students can learn those skills. The $994 grant will pay for up to 50 students to be certified. If all 50 don't use it this year, they can use it again next year, Whetstone said. "Some of our students already have that certification so it's giving them a boost before they go out to the workforce. Here we're going to have the stickers that they have to label things with in the refrigerator," Whetstone said. They will do the certification and practice it in the kitchen. Whetstone also got some cake decorating and material to practice with. "They've made some beautiful cakes," and it will give them a head start on jobs, Whetstone said. Joe Mansanales, a woodshop teacher, got a grant for just under $1,000 for a wood planer. "We do all kinds of stuff, and the wood planer will help us to use scrap wood and make all kinds of fun things," Mansanales said. They are always looking for scrap wood. "With a lot of our students, they're just not exposed to power tools. They're not exposed to loud noises, to vibrations, to things that, in some circumstances, seem scary. I want them to get over that fear and learn the safety and learn how to work with those things, but also just get over the fear of loud things," Mansanales said. "With a lot of our autistic students, for instance, the noises shut them down. If we can work past that, we can open up a lot of different experiences for them, whether it's power tools or in a kitchen. Just getting them used to those noises, those vibrations. With some of my students, they're actually controlling the tool. With others, we're working hand over hand. It just depends on their level of comfort. But with all of them, it's exposure to something novel, to something that's potentially scary to them," he added. Charleen Rodriguez teaches life skills/social skills and was awarded a $998 grant for an entrepreneurship class. "The idea came from us trying to find them jobs, and some don't find jobs or don't stay as long as we would like them to stay. I was just trying to find an idea or a way so that they could feel that they are meaningful and that they can support their family in some way and be part of the community," Rodriguez said. Students have come up with ideas such as their own cap design, bracelets and earrings. "We have been brainstorming different ideas that they would like to start creating. ... All the materials that we asked for in the grant are based on their likings," Rodriguez said. The grant will help students hone their fine and motor skills, feel proud that they are able to support themselves and be independent but also support their families while gaining skills to launch their their own ideas, she added. They would all recommend that other educators apply for the grants. "It's a great way to get things the kids need," Erwin said.
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
TLC teacher to take students to Austin
Feb. 4—For a real live civics lesson, Transition Learning Center Facilitator Dallas Kennedy is taking a group of students to Austin March 25-27. The six students chosen for the trip have shown an interest in how government works and in going to the state Capitol. Kennedy has taken students to the Capitol once before. He often takes them to local government meetings such as the Ector County Commissioners Court and Odessa City Council work sessions. They attended an Ector County ISD Board of Trustees meeting when the new Transition Learning Center, financed by the 2023 bond, was on the agenda. The trip will also help the students gain a sense of independence. It will be funded by a $3,276.50 grant from the Education Foundation titled Legislature in Action. "Our state representative (Brooks Landgraf, R-Odessa) has agreed to meet us there, so we're going to have a individual meeting with him," Kennedy said. Landgraf said he is thrilled to welcome the students. "I'm incredibly proud to welcome these outstanding students from the ECISD Transition Learning Center to their Capitol. Visits like these give young Texans a firsthand look at how their government works and inspire them to become engaged citizens. It's not every day you get to watch the House or Senate in session and meet face-to-face with legislators," Landgraf said. "A special thank you to Dallas Kennedy for helping these students understand the legislative process and why it matters. Experiencing government in action is a powerful lesson, and I'm always eager to welcome students to the Capitol. I look forward to meeting with them, discussing the importance of civic engagement and public service, and answering their questions. Most importantly, I want them to know that West Texas is always well-represented in the Texas Legislature," Landgraf added. Micah Pettigrew, Ector County ISD's special education supervisor over autism, homebound and 18-plus, said the trip is an incredible opportunity for students to experience the Texas Legislature firsthand. "So many adults and citizens don't fully understand how the legislative system works, and for our students to have the chance to witness it in action and be part of the process is beyond amazing," Pettigrew said. Kennedy said he has also been working with state Sen. Kevin Sparks, R-Midland. Kennedy said his staff will meet with them and if Sparks can make it, he will meet with them also. "There are several other reps that I've talked to there. We're going to drop by, but since they're not our particular rep, they can't guarantee they're going to meet with us. Their staff, for sure," he added. They also plan to watch a House session and sit in on a committee hearing or two to learn about the legislative process. "I'm sure we're probably not going to spend hours upon hours inside the committee hearings, but at least get the idea," Kennedy said. As for whether the committee hearings can be boring, he said it depends. Sometimes there are people who are upset. "It's actually kind of fun to watch when people are really into it," Kennedy said. He added that he just wants the students to learn about government, how it works and get them interested in civics. "They can learn on their own and decide who they need to vote for," Kennedy said. They start class every day watching the weather and then they watch at least one news story, usually a local one. They did watch President Donald Trump get inaugurated. "That's a big news story, so I just showed this short news clip about him being inaugurated. ... It's generally local news stories that we watch. But you know, sometimes we'll watch some political news stories, too, not, not biased ones, just what's going on," Kennedy said. He added that they had one student a couple of years ago who was so excited about seeing the legislature in action that she had her parents take her back. "Most of my students, at least, know who their state rep is. They'll tell me, I saw Brooks Landgraf on the news last night. ... A lot of them now go home and they watch the weather and they watch the news," Kennedy said. Parents have told him they now know why their student comes home every day wanting to watch the weather and the news. "So that stuff sticks," Kennedy said. He added that part of adulting is knowing what the weather is going to be. "That's part of what we teach because you need to know how to dress for the weather. ... I teach them how to dress for different occasions. At school, we can wear T- shirts and blue jeans," he said. But when they go to Austin, they step it up a little and make sure their clothes are ironed. "You dress a little more different, depending on where you're at. That's part of the trip, too, is learning, when you're meeting with dignitaries or something, you dress different. If you're going to a government meeting, you are going to church or going to wherever, you dress different than if you're working out in the garden Saturday morning," Kennedy said. A lot of his students have never been away from their parents or traveled very much, so Kennedy teaches them about manners. They also get $35 a day for food. "It's up to them to budget it," he said. They always stop at Cooper's Barbecue in Llano. "We'll stop and eat there because they have a special for school students. They have a $9 lunch bag, and they'll get that. Then I'll buy some extra barbecue so they can try some of the other stuff, too, because (they've) got great food," Kennedy said. They will also visit the Bullock Texas State History Museum and take a bat tour. "You get to ride a flat bottom-boat, and they give you a tour of Lady Bird Lake. You go sit up underneath the bridge and watch all the bats come out. ... They're going to learn about civics, and part of it's just learning how to travel," he said. Kennedy said he also tells the students that if they get lost, they should ask the state troopers to take them to Landgraf's office and he or his staff can call Kennedy. "We're going to take students that can react in case of an emergency. That's going to be one of the criteria is — if they get lost or separated, they're able to take the necessary steps to get ahold of me. Of course, they'll have my phone number, too, so they can call me. That will be part of the trip that they can do that," he added.
