Exposing students with disabilities to careers in science, mathematics and technology early on can have a dramatic impact. It opens doors and unlocks potential. Most importantly, students are set on a successful course for the future. Through real life experiences, students develop work ethics. They learn valuable skills such as dressing for success, arriving to work on time, and interacting with supervisors and mentors.
Students strengthen communication skills and gain confidence in their abilities.
Employers, in turn, gain access to future loyal employees and increase disability awareness in the workplace. Most importantly, students learn through their own experiences that they have what it takes to enter the high tech workforce. Site visits, mentoring, shadowing, and paid summer internships all provide students with opportunities to learn more about careers in scientific, engineering and technology-related fields. Students also work at state agencies, local city governments and local companies. Working with teachers, parents, and mentors, students develop career goals and take the steps necessary to achieve them.