Youth Launch Pad
Youth Resources
Transition Planning
Transition Planning and the IEP – A guide to everything you need to know to participate inTransition Planning.
Keeping It Real: How to Get the Supports You Need for the Life You Want
College Preparation
Georgiafutures – A great site for students, parents and educators to get all the information you need to plan for college. This site also has an online self-assessment tool for students.
www.collegeboard.com – Practice and register for the SAT test and search for colleges online.
www.careeronestop.org – Explore different careers and get tips on finding a job.
www.thinkcollege.net – Learn about college options for people with intellectual disabilities.
www.tcsg.edu – Find out if a technical college is for you.
Person Centered Planning
http://www.communityinclusion.org/article.php?article_id=54 – Institute on Community Inclusion Brief, Starting with Me: A Guide to Person-Centered Planning for Job Seekers
http://rebeccahulst.com/path.htm – This website journals the story of one family as they navigate the disability world. This link is to a breakdown of someone’s path with ideas of what they put at each step.
Self-Advocacy Skills
Be Your Own Best Advocate – an information sheet on advocating skills.
10 Steps to Self-Determination – Promoting Self-Determination in the Home
National Gateway to Self-Determination – A clearinghouse for resources, training, and information on promoting self-determination.
Youth Empowerment
Youth Service of America – YSA supports a global culture of engaged children and youth committed to a lifetime of meaningful service, learning, and leadership. With half the world’s population under age 25, our mission is to help all young people find their voice, take action, and make an impact on vital community issues.
The Bridge for Youth – Emergency Services for youth, Transitions Program, Counseling, Teen Health Program, Group Connections ( Ages 10-17 yrs old) The Bridge for Youth’s mission is to provide runaway and homeless youth safe shelter, assist in the prevention and resolution of family conflicts and reunify families whenever possible.
Job Preparation
U.S. Department of Labor – Youth Employment: A Foundation for Mental Health and Well-being
www.careeronestop.org – Explore different careers and get tips on finding a job.
www.thinkcollege.net – Learn about college options for people with intellectual disabilities.
www.tcsg.edu – Find out if a technical college is for you
What are Soft Skills and Why are they Important?
This video was created by youth and young adults, as a conversation, to help others understand this important skill set. If you need more information about transition opportunities or transition planning, please contact the Georgia Department of Education and the Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency.
Soft Skills to Pay the Bills — Mastering Soft Skills for Workplace Success – This series was developed by the US Dept of Labor and addresses the soft skills that are necessary for workplace success/
Career One Stop – Pathways to Career Success
CollegePath.com– Internships for high school students.
How can students with disabilities gain work experience while in high school or college?
Future Farmers of America – prepares students for successful careers and a lifetime of informed choices in the global agriculture, food, fiber and natural resources systems
Family, Career and Community Leaders of America – National Career and Technical Student Organization for young men and women in family and consumer sciences education
Education Northwest – provided training, technical assistance, research, and consultation to youth mentoring initiatives and programs throughout the United States
USA Jobs – Pathways for students and recent graduates to Federal careers
Georgia Teenwork Apprenticeship Program – The Georgia TeenWork Internship Program (GTIP) is a resource to youth throughout the state of Georgia. Youth will have hands on experience with companies to develop the skills needed for today’s workplace. Youth are trained and matched to assigned employers based on the needs of the employer and future career interest of the participating youth. The employers are recruited and matched with youth in their community. GTIP arranges interviews between the youth and the employers to determine if the worksite is a suitable match for both parties.
Atlanta Regional Commission – Young people, 14-24 years of age, interested in full-year youth programs funded by the Workforce Innovation & Opportunity Act (WIOA) must be low income and possess significant and defined barriers to education and employment.
For program information, see the list of organizations that offer year-round youth programs (PDF) in Cherokee, Clayton, Douglas, Fayette, Gwinnett, Henry and Rockdale counties, which are in the Atlanta Regional Workforce Development Board service area.
For youth programs in the City of Atlanta, Cobb, DeKalb and Fulton counties, please contact the workforce board in your county of residence for youth program information. If you have questions about the Youth program, please contact us: workforce@atlantaregional.com If you are only interested in a job, the list of Youth Job Search Tips (PDF) offers helpful information for finding employment.