This week’s Carbon School District weekly update shines a light on the Castle Valley Center. Principal Amy Bell stopped by Castle Country Radio to share some information about the Post-High Program.

Originally the Post-High Program was instructed out of Carbon High but has since moved to the Castle Valley Center. “The changes over the past few years have led us to create a separate program, it’s not school based, so the students aren’t working on reading and math, it’s for students 18 to 22 with significant disabilities. The goal there is to do independent living, and also for those that working towards that, some possible pre-employment skills. So really focusing on helping them kind of transition in to adulthood, how do we help them be independent as much as possible adults,” explained Principal Bell. The program is a grant-based program that prepares students with disabilities to transition into the real world with ease.

The program has applied for a three-year grant to help build up the program. “This year we applied for a grant; it will be a three-year grant. Which allows us to do Work-Based Learning Experiences, which is we can actually have the students go out to an employment setting. With some job coaching, we would offer as much support as we need to, to support them there. It gives them a real-life work experience that they can actually be paid for through this grant. The funding allows us to get people to go out with them, so its not just throwing them out into a work job experience, it’s going out and supporting them,” said Principal Bell. The program is a wonderful way to introduce employment and social skills, as well as students can gain community experiences.

This year the students who are in the Post High Program will be organizing the school’s Halloween carnival. “What we’re doing this year for our school carnival, it’s not open to the public, we’re just doing it in-house. Our Post High is actually planning it, so those students are actually planning the games, the activities for our students, and then they’ll be running every one of the game booths for our students. Again, getting another experience about being independent, following a plan, following the tasks, and then socializing with our students at the school,” said Principal Bell. So students are busily working of developing fun games and planning activities for the school’s upcoming carnival.

For more information about Castle Valley Center visit their website at https://www.carbonschools.org/o/castle-valley-center