Pressed for Success: Building Professional Skills Beyond the Workplace
Gina Manville DeJager
ID-3922
School Name:Barron Collier High
Grant Request Grade:12
Grant Request Subject:Special Needs Students
Additional Details
The goal of Pressed for Success: Building Professional Skills Beyond the Workplace is to provide students in the LIFE (Learning and Independence for Future Employment) Program with hands-on opportunities to develop essential workplace readiness, professionalism, and personal hygiene skills on days when they are unable to participate in their community-based job training experience at Royal Poinciana Golf Club. Through practical instruction and real-world applications, students will increase their independence, confidence, and employability while preparing for successful adult lives.
The LIFE Program prepares students with disabilities for meaningful employment and independent living through hands-on learning experiences. While students gain valuable workplace skills during their job training at Royal Poinciana Golf Club, there are times when scheduling conflicts, school events, or weather prevent them from attending the job site.
This project will ensure learning continues during those times by creating a simulated workplace and independent living environment within the classroom. Students will receive direct instruction and hands-on practice in professional appearance, personal hygiene, organization, and workplace responsibilities. Students will learn how to properly iron clothing, hang clothing, use a garment steamer, fold and store professional attire, maintain personal grooming routines, and understand the importance of workplace cleanliness and presentation. Students will also practice office-related job skills by learning how to safely operate a paper shredder, organize documents, and maintain a professional work environment.
By providing authentic practice opportunities, students will strengthen the life skills necessary to succeed in current and future employment settings.
This project will provide L.I.F.E. students with meaningful opportunities to develop the personal and professional skills necessary for success in both the workplace and everyday life. Through hands-on practice, students will increase their independence in self-care and daily living routines while gaining a better understanding of employer expectations regarding professionalism, appearance, hygiene, and workplace behavior. Learning to properly care for their clothing, maintain personal grooming habits, and complete workplace-related tasks will help build confidence and self-esteem, allowing students to feel more prepared in a variety of employment settings. Additionally, these activities ensure that valuable instruction continues even when students are unable to attend their community-based job training site at Royal Poinciana Golf Club. An added benefit of this project is that students will be able to take hygiene supplies home, allowing them to practice and maintain the skills they learn at school within their own daily routines. Extending learning beyond the classroom promotes consistency, reinforces positive habits, and encourages greater independence in personal care. By strengthening transferable skills that can be applied across many work environments and at home, this project will better prepare students for future employment, increased self-sufficiency, and successful participation in their communities as adults.
Funding will be used to purchase materials and equipment that support instruction in workplace professionalism, personal hygiene, and independent living skills for students in the L.I.F.E. Program. These resources will provide students with hands-on opportunities to learn and practice essential skills such as maintaining a professional appearance, caring for clothing, developing proper hygiene routines, and completing workplace-related tasks. Items such as an iron, garment steamer, and ironing board will allow students to learn how to prepare and maintain professional attire, while a shredder will be used to teach office and organizational skills commonly found in workplace environments. Hygiene products, including shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, body wash, and other personal care items, will support direct instruction in personal grooming and self-care. Students will also be able to take hygiene supplies home, enabling them to continue practicing these skills outside of school and establish consistent routines that promote independence. These materials will serve multiple cohorts of L.I.F.E. students and provide long-term value by ensuring that meaningful instruction continues even when students are unable to participate in their community-based work experience at Royal Poinciana Golf Club. Through this funding, students will gain the confidence, responsibility, and real-world skills needed to achieve greater independence and future employment success.
