Superintendent's Corner
January 23rd, 2012

I hope you had a restful New Year and are off to a productive new beginning. Vocational training and the “Bridge to Adulthood” is one of the focuses of the Greenburgh North Castle Union Free School District (GNC UFSD).

REACH Academy recently launched a new vocational education and training program at the Westchester Institute for Human Development (WIHD) that includes daily internships for five seniors at the Westchester Medical Center (WMC) in Valhalla. Though less than two months old, the program is already having a dramatic impact – on students and staff – and it may result in one or more seniors being hired by the Medical Center after they graduate.

Like most apparent “instant success” stories, of course, many hours of planning, effort, and collaboration took place long ahead of any accomplishments. The story began last May, when Kerry McKenna, a District Transition Specialist at Clark Academy, took the lead in writing a grant proposal to the state’s Developmental Disability Planning Council for funding to implement a Project SEARCH program for REACH Academy students. Project SEARCH, a nationally-acclaimed organization, provides education and training to young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities through innovative workforce and career programs. Its primary goal is to see graduating students secure competitive employment.

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Sincerely,

Dr. Edward Placke
Superintendent of Schools



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