Vocational students make welcome move to USU
Reprinted with permission of
The Herald Journal
Saturday, March 22, 2008 2:33 AM CDT
By Kim Burgess
Before a local vocational training program for disabled youth moved to Utah State University, 18-to-21-year-olds would find themselves still studying at high school though all their friends had moved on.
"They would look around and ask themselves, 'Why am I still here?'" said Bob Morgan, an associate professor of special education and rehabilitation who works with the program, Project PEER, which used to be located a Logan High School, but has since moved to USU. "I think we've seen significant behavior change simply moving it to a college campus. They are more confident, more motivated."
Since the January 2007 move, PEER participants have gotten a taste of the college experience, having lunch at USU's cafeteria, attending LDS Institute classes and working around students.
The program's 18 students have found vocational placements in the library, bookstore, University Inn, campus recreation and facilities department.
Koby Pitcher, 19, cleans tables and empties trash at the HUB eatery.
"I like it," Pitcher says. "I want to stay there a long, long time."
As Pitcher walks among the studying students, many stop to chat with him.
"I meet a lot of friends around because I meet a lot of people," Pitcher continued.
In the kitchen, Manuel Smiley, 20, another PEER student, is busy weighing portions of spaghetti.
"This is my favorite - cooking," Smiley says.
The pair's supervisor, HUB manager Amber Schoenfeld, says she has enjoyed working with them.
"They are very eager to do a good job," she continued. "They always come to me and ask if they can do anything else."
Job coach Josh Anderson, who accompanies Pitcher and Smiley to the HUB, said that they don't need much help from him.
Anderson is a USU undergraduate in special education, and is employed by the Logan City and Cache School Districts, which still manage the program in partnership with USU's Center for Persons with Disabilities.
He is on hand in case the PEER students run into any problems in the job.
In addition, PEER students spend time in the classroom practicing life skills like job interviews, shopping, transportation and budgeting.
Chris Bartlett, a PEER teacher, said that the students are learning to be independent adults - and the USU setting helps.
"There is a higher standard of behavior at a university," Bartlett continued. "A couple of my students said they feel more mature (at USU than Logan High), and we treat them that way. ... Data shows that the employers are pleased. Behavior has not been an issue."
Across the country, more and more programs like PEER are being located at colleges.
According to the Department of Special Education at the University of Kansas, there are 113 similar efforts located on university campuses.
Public universities in Boston, Maryland, Minnesota, Kansas and Hawaii all host post-secondary programs for the disabled.
Bartlett thinks its a great change.
"Their attitude is, 'I go to USU. That's my school.' They are proud."
