For 35 years, TNSTEP has provided vital training and resources to parents of children and youth navigating special education services in Tennessee. On August 29th, it will be high school students taking the wheel as TNSTEP brings its Youth Transition Tour to Macon County Schools to help prepare teens for the big decisions that come with graduating, choosing higher education and career paths, and transitioning to adult life — decisions that are often more complex for young people with disabilities.
The full-day event is packed with interactive and inspiring activities focused on self-advocacy and independence, as well as strategies for effective transition planning, which the state of Tennessee requires of all youth receiving Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) to help ensure their post-secondary goals are met.
“Students are familiar with, and often already working on, their transition plan when they enter the event. They leave with a better understanding of just how important their voice and input are in the planning of their future. Best of all, they leave empowered with strategies and resources to help them achieve their goals,” says Stephanie Willis, director of the youth program.
TNSTEP’s Youth Transition Tour is making its way across Tennessee and collaborating with school districts like Macon County, which are enthusiastic about offering students additional layers of support in their transition planning journey in the form of interactive, educational and entertaining experiences that make an impact and spark action.
The Macon County Youth Transition Tour is made possible through the generous support of The Community Foundation of Middle TN, Nashville Predators Foundation, and PEATC’s WAZE TO ADULTHOOD initiative. Students will receive backpacks filled with swag, tools to promote independence and planning, and take-home resources that teens can share with parents and caregivers to support their transition planning and effective collaboration with school teams. These partnerships allow TNSTEP to continue its mission of providing vital training, information, and connection to community resources to families of children and youth with disabilities in all 95 Tennessee counties.
For more information about the TNSTEP Youth Transition Tour or TNSTEP services, please visit www.tnstep.info.
