Education went beyond the classroom when seventh-graders from St. John Fisher School joined Community High School District 218’s Adult Transition Program for a day full of learning and fun.
The Adult Transition Program has been in existence since 2008. It began with just a handful of students and was located inside of Eisenhower High School. It has not only grown in numbers, with approximately 115 students in attendance, but also in the services provided and in its own building at the Community High School District 218 Administration Building, 10701 Kilpatrick Ave., in Oak Lawn.
“I just love being here; it’s an honor,” ATP student, Sean Casey, 19, of Oak Lawn, said.
Through the program, students have countless opportunities to attend various job training sites in the community, participate in Special Olympics clubs and activities, unified events with local colleges such as St. Xavier University, community outings, just to name a few.
“ATP loves to spread the word about inclusion and respect, and what better way than to bring others into our world right here at the Adult Transition Program,” Alison Wilde, Director of the ATP, said. “Our program provides our students with the opportunity to build their skills to be successful and independent post ATP and vocational training is a huge portion of that.”
On Feb. 7, St. John Fisher students visited the ATP building and were paired up with students within the program to work on various vocational projects that support the APT school’s business High 5 Heights, located at 12213 S. Harlem in Palos Heights.
The High 5 business kicked off within the walls of the APT center in 2014 with a few students, a circuit machine and heat press and has expanded over the years to what it is now, a full retail store and training site, High 5 Heights.
“We are so proud of how far we have come, training and hiring our own students to support their future success,” Wilde said.
All of the handmade craft items made by the St. John Fisher and ATP students will be on display at High 5 Heights in a special “Community Connections” section of the store.
“This means so much to me to be a part of this,” St. John Fisher seventh-grader, Jessie Fennell, 13, of Beverly, said. “I really like helping others.”
ATP student, Diego Lemus, could not agree more. “It was really cool to help these kids learn about the ATP,” Lemus, 20, of Blue Island, said.
After the vocational work, both ATP and St. John Fisher students were able to enjoy a fun basketball game and have a social pizza lunch.
“I loved everything about this entire day,” Rita Walsh, seventh-grade teacher at St. John Fisher, said.
“Building relationships and friendships is a plus,” Wilde said. “I feel that younger students benefit by learning from our students and about the ATP program because kids are sponges. They absorb their environment and learn from the events happening around them. When you walk into ATP, you are immersed in acceptance, respect and inclusivity. Exposing our young community members to those virtues will continue to make our world a better place.”
Wilde said providing the opportunity to general education peers allows for opportunities for exposure, acceptance, inclusion, and respect to be built.
“We find that this opportunity allows for our program to provide experiences that many students may not have in their typical school day,” she said. “This partnership, we hope, is just the beginning of our goal to continue making connections and finding opportunities to give back to our community. We hope to continue partnering with other schools, programs, and organizations- as it is a win-win. Our students are provided additional opportunities for socialization and connection to the community while others can learn about our program and the values in which we instill.”
ATP students happily agreed.
“I love how we are so welcoming,” Mohamed Mohamed, 21, of Oak Lawn, said. “Everyone wants us to learn and be the best we can be. Everyone is so patient with us. My favorite things are socializing, making new friends and learning new skills.”
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