All Students Achieve opens doors to employment for high school seniors with developmental disabilities

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV)-- The All Students Achieve program is helping high school seniors with developmental disabilities gain real-world work experience and develop skills they can use after graduation. 

The program is a collaboration between the St. Joseph School District, Mosaic Life Care, United Cerebral Palsy (UCP), Vocational Rehabilitation and Progressive Community Services. 

Katie McCullough, a special education instructor, said students are selected through the St. Joseph School District and Vocational Rehabilitation. 

“Their counselor and myself, we communicate with the department chairs of all the high schools and we select students who are developmentally disabled who are seniors in high school,” she added. 

Once selected, each student works toward individualized goals designed to help them prepare for competitive employment. 

The students arrive at Mosaic by 7:30 a.m. and report to their assigned internships. They can work in a variety of areas throughout the facility, depending on their interests and goals.  

“There are students who are in environmental sciences, materials management, the dietary area and the gift shop,” McCullough said.  

Now in its eighth year, the program has given students the opportunity to explore different careers and learn what it is like to have a job in a professional setting. 

This year, four students are participating in the program. One of them is Braelynn Lancaster, a senior at Benton High School. 

“I wanted to learn how to communicate with other people to learn how to prepare for a job and new skill,” she said.  

So far, Lancaster said her experience has been a positive one. She works in EVS, or Environmental Services, which is the housekeeping department at Mosaic Life Care. 

Through the internship, she has been able to put her cleaning skills into practice while learning more about what it takes to work in a professional environment.  

Lancaster hopes to eventually get a job in EVS at Mosaic Life Care and continue using the skills she has developed through the program. 

“I would recommend this job to my friends for sure because it helps you prepare for life after school,” she added.  

Students participating in the internship typically stay at Mosaic until 12:30 p.m. They then return to school for the remaining two hours of the day for their regular coursework. 

The St. Joseph School District provides transportation for the students. 

The program also gives students an opportunity to transition directly into the workforce.