Argonaut High School in Jackson was the site for Valley Mountain Regional Center to host their second annual Transition Fair for Amador County. Over 40 young adults and more than 20 vendors participated in the Transition Fair, which is designed to inform the consumers and their caregivers that are nearing the age of 22 years old about what services are potentially available to them as they exit the public school system.
“VMRC collaborated with the school districts/SELPAs to ensure student attendance at the Transition Fair,” said San Andreas Program Manager Tara Sizemore-Hester. “Districts provided transportation which was helpful. We also collaborated with the districts regarding the general planning of the fairs.”
Attendees were able to speak to different vocational programs, educational programs, independent living programs, adult day programs and consumer advocacy programs to help them plan their future. In California, when a student with a developmental disability turns 22 years old and ages out of public school, it can be difficult and stressful just thinking of the unknown next chapter of their life. The staff that put this event on hope to ease the transition and provide guidance and support to whatever an individual wants to pursue and achieve.
While Stockton and Modesto each held their own larger Transition Fairs, Sizemore-Hester felt it was important for each mountain county that VMRC serves to have their own Transition Fair too. “We decided early on to have the Transition Fairs in each of the three mountain counties to ensure access to our consumers.”
Valley Mountain Regional Center held the first Transition Fair of the year on March 13th, at Calaveras High School in San Andreas. Two more Transition Fairs were held in April, one at the Stockton office on April 3rd, and one at the Modesto office on April 9th. The 5th, and final Transition Fair will be held on May 23rd at Sonora High School in Sonora.
For more information, please contact Doug Bonnet, Special Assistant to the Executive Director, at 209-955-3677, email [email protected] .
Skip to content