L&I Secretary Visits Summer Academy for Students with Disabilities at Penn State

Are you a high school student with a visual impairment or deafness/hard of hearing looking to gain valuable independent-living skills to prepare for employment after graduation? Look no further than the Summer Academy for Students offered by the Department of Labor & Industry’s Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) in Pennsylvania.

Secretary Nancy A. Walker recently visited with 20 high school students participating in the academy at Penn State, where they are immersed in a 10-day program designed to help them succeed in post-secondary education and competitive integrated employment. Since 2009, OVR has served about 325 students through this program, which is funded through federal pre-employment transition funds.

The academy, hosted at Penn State’s University Park campus since 2014, provides students with a unique opportunity to live in a college dorm, eat in a dining hall, and participate in team-building activities. They also take classes on mobility skills, requesting accommodations, study skills, assistive technology, disability services, social and emotional skills, adaptive sports, career planning, and more.

One of the highlights of the program is the hiring of college students with human services-related majors as Resident Assistants (RAs) to support the participants. These RAs provide guidance and conduct activities to ensure that each student has a great experience. In fact, some former participants and RAs have gone on to graduate from college and work for the Department of Labor & Industry.

If you or someone you know could benefit from this immersive and enriching experience, be sure to check out the Summer Academy for Students offered by OVR. It’s a fantastic opportunity to gain valuable skills and prepare for a successful transition to college and employment.