DOWNERS GROVE, Ill.,
June 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/
-- Autism Community Ventures, a nonprofit organization
dedicated to helping people on the autism spectrum successfully
integrate into 21st-century careers, is proud to announce that the
inaugural round of transition scholarships for its
Transition2Success Project ("Transition2Success") have been
awarded.
Autism Community Ventures previously announced that its
Director, Dr. Maureen Dunne, founded
a unique scholarship program called The Transition2Success Project
for teens diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders.
"The program is the first of its kind in that it is
transportable to any college or apprenticeship and has been
designed specifically to bridge high school to college or work so
that teens with autism don't fall through the cracks," commented
Dr. Dunne. "We will work to understand what's needed and to provide
a diverse and flexible set of supports and services, including
counseling, executive functioning coaching to help with
organization and time management, assistive technology, and other
skill-building workshops. The goal is to bring to the table
whatever resources are necessary to help build a bridge from the
structure of the school system into the next phase of life, to help
these young adults move forward armed with the personal resources
to find success and actualization."
The scholarship program is being rolled out nationally with a
focus on a few regions for the initial pilot. One of the priority
regions, Community High School District 99 in Downers Grove, IL, holds personal significance
to Dr. Dunne. Dr. Dunne graduated from Downers Grove South High
School as a junior and later went on to become the school
district's first and only Rhodes Scholarship winner.
The pilot program for D99 high school seniors found fervent
support from community leaders, especially the local Rotary Clubs.
Woodridge Rotary Club became an early supporter of the program,
hosting a gala featuring the Cover Girls, with their nationally
acclaimed electric violin show.
Darien Rotary Club was also an early supporter of
Transition2Success, generously donating an entire
scholarship.
Debbie Mascitti, the newly
elected President of Woodridge Rotary commented, "It was wonderful
to see so many of our community leaders, Rotarians, teachers, and
parents at our fundraiser to show their full support and commitment
to this worthy cause."
For the Downers Grove pilot,
two of the students will be attending the College of DuPage in the Fall, while the third
student will be attending North Central College.
"The selection committee had a tough time choosing the
scholarship winners since the finalists were all so impressive,"
stated Mary Onorad, a former
transition coordinator for Naperville School District 203.
The scholarship winners will also have access to a range of
skill-building activities and workshops, suited to individual
strengths. Dr. Dunne, who is also the Principal Investigator for
the Autism and Innovation Initiative funded by the Discovery
Partners Institute and private donors, already leads coding
bootcamps that aim to include young adults with autism.
Media contact: William Doyle,
Email: info@transition2success.org
Related Images
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Related Links
The Transition2Success Project
Autism Community Ventures
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SOURCE Autism Community Ventures