Transitioning from school to work life is a big shift for anyone, so it’s good to know students of all abilities are getting help with that at ConVal High School.

ConVal has extended learning opportunities, like internships and volunteering, for students of all abilities to get a taste of what working is really like. There are also opportunities for them to develop leadership skills in clubs, like The Future Business Leaders of America, and sports. 

ConVal’s School to Career Office helps students explore various career opportunities with internships and interviews with adults working in the field. At the school’s annual Reality Fair, students meet local businesspeople and practice budgeting their finances with the expected income of their chosen profession. (See story, Page 14.)

Mary Lou O’Neil, an internship and community liaison for ConVal’s career office, said her goal is to help students find their own pathway to success. “It’s not college-bound for everyone,” she said. 

ConVal’s manufacturing class, new this semester, is giving students a chance to spend time at New Hampshire Ball Bearings, where they’re learning about manufacturing processes and procedures, as well as applied math skills. 

ConVal’s employment of best practices in helping students with disabilities transition to college and work life will be highlighted in filmmaker Dan Habib’s new documentary. (See story, Page 1.)

Habib specifically chose to follow sophomore Garrett Shows, of Peterborough, at ConVal because the school is a leader when it comes to helping students with disabilities make the shift from high school to higher education and/or career. ConVal even has a full-time transition coordinator, something that’s not very common, who works primarily with students with disabilities for that purpose.

Two keys to success for youth with disabilities in transitioning to higher education or career after high school, according to Habib’s research, are self-determination skills and work-based experience.

As O’Neil said, investing in students is an investment in the community and its economy. “If education doesn’t address what the local community needs are, it’s at our own peril,” she said. 

We hope ConVal will continue to build on its success as a school where helping all students plan for the future is as important as academic rigor.