START Coaches Newsletter
GLEAN April 2019
Community Conversations
A Community Conversation is one strategy that has been used to discover, support, and share innovative approaches for supporting students with disabilities to participate more fully and naturally in school, work, and community activities. The process is a creative, productive, and powerful way of identifying how diverse members of a community might work together in compelling ways to solve an important challenge. By drawing out the best ideas of parents, educators, service providers, community leaders, employers, and ordinary citizens, communities can discover they already have the capacity to open doors for real change in this area. A Community Conversation is a great platform for districts looking to expand opportunities for their transition age students to build partnerships with the surrounding community.
In collaboration with our work with START and Genesee ISD's Countywide Transition Committee, local districts have begun to host Community Conversations. Clio Area Schools hosted our first Conversation in the spring of 2018. Grand Blanc hosted a Community Conversation in March 2019 and Davison Schools have an April event planned. Atherton, Bendle, and Bentley have joined forces to host a Burton-area Community Conversation in May 2019 while Clio is planning a follow up event for graduating students with disabilities.
If you have not heard about Community Conversations, you can learn more about it here: https://vimeo.com/128290120 or check out START's flyer here.
As we move forward, our team hopes to support even more local districts in hosting Community Conversations and building partnerships. START funds may be available to help offset costs and assistance is available through the planning process. For more information, contact your district's ASD Teacher Consultant or Pam Grimes, Transition Coordinator.
Grand Blanc
Student artwork decorated tables
Clio
A great turnout in Clio!
Engaging conversations of community members, educators, parents and students.
Great feedback!
Building Your Future
Several schools around Genesee County are currently supporting target students with the BYF process including Clio High School, Swartz Creek High School and Elmer Knopf Learning Center. In the past, Grand Blanc High School and Atherton High School have also supported students through the BYF process. Flushing High School and EAJ High School in Mt. Morris are seeking to utilize the process next year. For more information, please contact your district's ASD TC or Pam Grimes, Transition Coordinator.
Coaches Corner
Montague Elementary
Bendle High School
Kuehn Haven Middle School
Spring Peer to Peer Roundtable
Genesee ISD Teacher Consultants
If you have changed buildings or districts, please let your TC know so we can update our records.
Barb Olszewski
Angie Grindel
Laura Henry
Kelli Pierscinski
GISD's Regional Collaborative Network (RCN) has partnered with Livingston ESA to strengthen our resources and collaborate to bring your MORE amazing things from START. We were previously known as CAN4GCA but will now be GLEAN (Genesee-Livingston Educational Autism Network).