Glynn County Schools' Special Education Department recently opened a Pathway Assessment Exploration System (PAES) lab at Golden Isles College + Career Academy (GICCA).
“In addition to utilizing community-based instruction and community work sites, the PAES lab will also benefit our students tremendously as we prepare them for life after high school," said Dr. Pam McKinnon, Director of Special Education Services & Supports.
The PAES lab is a classroom where students become employees and teachers become employers. Students explore vocational interests through their engagement in a variety of generalized work activities in the areas of Computer Technology, Construction/Industrial, Processing/Production, Consumer/Service and Business/Marketing.
As students focus on training, appropriate work behavior is also developed. Teachers utilize assessments and training to develop and determine a student’s work potential.
“We feel this is a wonderful opportunity for our students to participate at GICCA and believe that this hands-on Comprehensive Work Development Curriculum developed by Talent Assessment, Inc., will serve to enhance what our special education teachers are already doing to promote a meaningful transition into adulthood for this population of students," McKinnon continued.
Her hope is that this program expands our REACH (or Reaching Educational and Career Heights) program at the College of Coastal Georgia as a result of participation in the lab.
"We look forward to seeing the results,” she added.