Advanced Community Training (ACT) Program

ACT participants are students with disabilities, ages 18-21, currently enrolled in Tucson Unified School District and who meet programmatic criteria for ACT. Located in the community and not on high school campuses, ACT offers students a two year program to continue their transition and learning in integrated, age-appropriate environments within their community. The ACT curriculum is research based and uses experiential learning as a teaching strategy.

Each ACT student’s program is based on individualized goals and objectives determined by students and their families. Many of the ACT sites are located in proximity to the University of Arizona’s campus. Students learn by volunteering, internships, working, interacting with the public, and accessing the community on a full-time basis. Under the supervision of ACT teachers and para-professionals, many from the University of Arizona, ACT students walk and use public transportation to get to community sites. ACT follows the TUSD school calendar, TUSD transportation is available, but families are encouraged to consider non-TUSD transportation such as Sun Tran city bus or Sun Van door to door service.

Kind Stitches

A Day in the Life of an ACT Student

Employability Skills

Students work with peers and staff on the hard skills and soft skills needed for employment. Daily students are working on being on time, effective communication, and taking responsibility for their work. Within various work settings students work on hard skills such as sorting, organizing, measuring, taking inventory and maintaining a safe work environment.

Career Exploration

Students complete preference and interest inventories to get a better understanding of what they like/dislike when considering future work. Using results from these assessments, students work with TSW staff and their teachers to explore various career options related to their interests, preferences and strengths. They conduct research using various online databases to learn about the skills and education needed, what job tasks are required, salary and if there will be jobs in that field.

Work Based Learning & Internships

The majority of the day for A.C.T. students is participation in hands on learning at volunteer sites and internship opportunities. Students have time to work in various environments in small groups trying different types of work to better determine what they prefer to do. Internships are based on student interest, skills demonstrated and availability and offer students more time to delve into their field of interest. These opportunities are typically 1:1 with direct interaction from a supervisor with Job Coach support.

Pedestrian & Bus Safety Skills

All students in the A.C.T. program work on being safe pedestrians as well as learn to ride the SunTran City bus with staff support. It is an important independent living and employability skills to be able to safely navigate from one place to another, and students are given the chance to demonstrate and increase safety skills getting to and from job sites and career exploration activities.

Self Advocacy & Disability Awareness

For all students who participate in the A.C.T. Program there is an emphasis on learning and practicing self advocacy skills including stating preferences, what works and doesn’t work, and what types of jobs they want in the future. Students learn about their own disabilities, how it impacts their work/learning and what accommodations they need to complete job tasks.

Collaboration

The A.C.T. Program collaborates with non-profit agencies, local businesses and TUSD operations department to provide students with a variety of volunteer and internship opportunities related to student job goals. We are also part of the TUSD Transition from School To Work Program, students work with Vocational Rehabilitation counselors to develop a plan for employment. Using this plan as a guide, students access volunteer agencies or opportunities that will provide hands on experiences to help gain necessary employability skills.