Youth Services
Summer Youth Transition Program
Saturday Program for School-Aged Children
The Lighthouse Career Services for Youth Program: Preparing for Mainstream Employment
The Lighthouse Career Services for Youth Program helps young people, ages 14 - 21, who are visually impaired make the transition from school to meaningful employment. Participants are encouraged to further their education and to develop their skills and abilities so that they can compete in the future workforce. The program operates on Saturdays during the school year and in an intensive summer program at the Lighthouse in Manhattan and in a residential facility at Columbia University.
When students enroll in the program, their skills in several key areas are assessed, such as orientation and mobility, vision rehabilitation therapy, computer aptitude and knowledge of braille. Based on this assessment, as well as their level of visual impairment, they are placed in beginner, intermediate or advanced level classes in each subject area. Vision rehabilitation services - including technology training, career exploration, independent living and orientation and mobility instruction, along with a social work component - lay the foundation for achieving the independence and dignity that come from gainful employment and career success.
Students learn to use a range of adaptive computer technologies appropriate to their needs. Career counselors help them learn about the world of work and specific jobs, including educational requirements. Workshops are held on resume preparation, interviewing skills and appropriate behavior on the job. Students discuss work-related topics and develop their communication skills at group session led by a Lighthouse career counselor. Parents receive guidance and support so that they can help and encourage their youngsters to achieve success.
Summer Youth Transition Program
Every summer, students ages 14-18 attend classes at the Lighthouse and spend their evenings in dormitories on the Columbia University campus during the week, returning home each weekend. For many, this is their first experience away from home, providing an opportunity for personal growth and increased self-sufficiency. Offered every summer for the past several years, the Lighthouse International/Columbia University collaboration allows participants to prepare for college and the working world.
Daytime activities at the Lighthouse focus on refining independent living skills, including Orientation and Mobility instruction and Vision Rehabilitation Therapy classes, as well as academic instruction, counseling, adaptive computer training, career preparation and creative arts. Students also visit a number of companies to gain firsthand knowledge about careers and work environments.
Evenings on the Columbia campus offer opportunities for social and recreational activities together with sighted peers. Campus living also gives the students the chance to reinforce skills learned at the Lighthouse, such as preparing meals, shopping at local stores and dining out.
Youth Employment Program
Lighthouse Career Services staff work closely with several students, after school during the school year as well as through the summer months to help them secure paying jobs in the community. In a number of cases, these teens gain experience in fields they plan to pursue. Placements have included a variety of settings, such as Lenox Hill Neighborhood House, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, God's Love We Deliver (a home-delivered meal program for older adults and AIDS patients), Morris Heights Health Center's "Reach Out and Read" program, Beth Abraham Hospital, and Housing Works Used Book Store and Cafe.
Responsibilities have ranged from assisting in archive services and office administration to customer service to performing music for seniors. In one placement, a student working as a reader also educated children about disabilities.
These interns provide valuable services to their employers, while gaining experience and an awareness of the positive contributions they can make in the community.
Saturday Program Enhances Learning -- and Fun -- for School-Aged Children
Boys and girls, ages 6 -13, who are blind or partially sighted, come together to learn, play and socialize through the Lighthouse Saturday Skills Program for School-Aged Children. This program, which is offered at our Manhattan and White Plains facilities, is provided one Saturday each month during the school year to children and their families. Activities, ranging from adaptive computer training, to table games, to parent and peer counseling -- as well as local trips -- are designed to help youngsters achieve greater academic, personal and social success in their mainstream schools. Since most of the children attend their neighborhood schools alongside sighted peers, this program provides an important opportunity for connecting with others who share a common bond.
For more information about Lighthouse Youth Services, contact: Lenny Goldstein at (212) 821-9277, or lgoldstein@lighthouse.org.