Mentoring and Goal Attainment for Youth with Disabilities

2005

For the last seven years, the City of Chicago Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD) has been implementing a comprehensive program geared toward the development of leadership skills among high school students with disabilities. This initiative is a year-long program that provides training and support to participants, allowing them to become self-advocates and represent disability interests within their high school and local communities. The proposed project "Mentoring and Goal Attainment for Youth with Disabilities,", will compliment the efforts of the MOPD in two ways: (1) by helping participants develop goal setting, action planning and mentor-seeking skills; and (2) by promoting leadership. Our training approach emphasizes learning through practical exercises (e.g., role-playing) that are likely to occur in everyday experiences. We combine instruction with supporting students as they develop a five-year plan and as they begin to attain post-secondary education and employment goals. The training process will take approximately 12-15 four hour sessions, to be completed between July 2004 and August 2004. These training sessions will be phase one of the proposed project. After the completion of phase one, the intervention will continue during the 2004-2005 academic school year. Participants will receive support at the MOPD field office and their respective high schools. We anticipate that participation in this project will have an impact on the potential success in individual participants as they increase their leadership capabilities.

leadership, high school students with disabilities, mentoring

Training Trainees

Quality Assurance, Quality of Life, Other - Leadership

Family Members/Caregivers

Racial or Ethnic Minorities, Disadvantaged Circumstances

Single-County

N/A