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March 12, 2025 Community of Practice #3 

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March 12, 2025 Community of Practice #3 

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March 12, 2025 - Building Post-School Success for Students with Complex Needs, CoP #3

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February 26, 2025 - Building Post-School Success for Students with Complex Needs: Webinar #3

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December 4, 2024 - Building Post-School Success for Students with Complex Needs, Session #2

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The purpose of this website is to improve post-school outcomes for students with disabilities by providing a platform for sharing resources, information, and tools for collaboration and coordination of services for students, families, educators, and providers.

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The purpose of this website is to improve post-school outcomes for students with disabilities by providing a platform for sharing resources, information, and tools for collaboration and coordination of services for students, families, educators, and providers.

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November 14, 2024 Community of Practice (CoP) #1 

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November 14, 2024 Community of Practice (CoP) #1 

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November 20, 2024 - Building Post-School Success for Students with Complex Needs: CoP 1

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Leaving school can be an overwhelming time for students with disabilities and their families. Teachers play a critical role in helping students to manage this transition and ensuring post-school success. The Utah School to Work Initiative and Utah State Board of Education are pleased to to offer trainings for Utah’s teachers that focus on building meaningful adult lives for students with more significant disabilities. Through a series of webinars and team-based sessions, teachers learn to develop person-centered transition plans that support employment, meaningful community inclusion and positive post-school outcomes. Participants learn to:

Partner with families and post-school service providers,

Build confidence, skills and friendships in community settings,

Create a profile and portfolio that targets potential employment options based on a student’s strengths and interests

Utilize a Life Skills Assessment to set meaningful goals, build critical skills and encourage independence and community engagement.

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From the Clinicians: Building Meaningful Lives for Transition-aged Youth with complex needs 

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From the Clinicians: Building Meaningful Lives for Transition-aged Youth with complex needs 

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Sara Murphy and Laura Owen (TransCen)

Building Meaningful Lives for Transition-aged Youth in Utah

As a compliment to the strategic planning aspects of Utah’s Transition Institute, the Utah State Board of Education is offering schools, families and other stakeholders an opportunity to receive virtual training and technical support on Building Meaningful Lives for students with disabilities. The goal of the Transition Institute’s training component is to build capacity in local districts and create a statewide community of practice around inclusion and employment for transition-aged youth.  Site-based teams have an opportunity to participate in a series of facilitated conversations and guided practice to implement the tools and strategies presented in our Building Meaningful Lives webinars.  Participating teams will engage with families to profile their students and develop instructional plans focusing on critical life skills that set students on pathways to post-school success.  Site-based teams will have a chance to work with districts from across the state to share insights and strategies, brainstorm challenges and celebrate successes.

Site-based teams will identify a student and will work with the student and family to complete a Positive Personal Profile and Life Skills Assessment.  Through a series of facilitated zoom meetings with SME’s (Sara Murphy/Laura Owens), the teams will determine meaningful goals and implementation ideas for community settings. Each team will identify goals, instructional activities and potential teaching/learning environments, volunteer settings and/or public resources to use for instructional purposes. The SME’s will provide resources and share suggestions on how to address challenges and logistical issues.

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September 22, 2020- 2pm
Presenter Biography: Sara Murphy is a Senior Associate at TransCen, Inc. and the Director of TransCen’s WorkLink program. For the past 30 years, Ms. Murphy’s focus has been on community inclusion and employment for people with disabilities. She has extensive experience in program development, person-centered community-based services, Customized Employment methods and service transformation. As part of TransCen’s consultation team, Ms. Murphy provides technical assistance and training for state agencies, school districts and service providers and families. She also participates in number of federal and state initiatives, such as Social Security Administration’s Youth Transition Demonstration Projects, and the Department of Labor’s ODEP Employment First State Leadership Mentoring Program. Ms. Murphy is an ODEP recognized subject matter expert.

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Building Meaning Adult Lives: A Toolkit for Teachers

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Building Meaning Adult Lives: A Toolkit for Teachers

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December 3 Virtual Community of Practice

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December 3 Virtual Community of Practice

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Video

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Meaningful Lives Dec 3, 2020 Team Meeting

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January 26 Virtual Community of Practice

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January 26 Virtual Community of Practice

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Video

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Meaningful Day - Virtual Community of Practice - January 26, 2021

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February 23 Virtual Community of Practice

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February 23 Virtual Community of Practice

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Video

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Building Meaningful Lives - Virtual Community of Practice - February 23, 2021

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Positive Personal Profile Example

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Skills Assessment Example

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2021 Building Meaningful Lives: Webinar I

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Jan 11 | Community of Practice #1

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Meaningful Day Virtual Community of Practice - Jan 11, 2022

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Feb 8 | Webinar II: Taking it to the Streets: Teaching in the Real World and Developing Community Partners

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Meaningful Lives Webinar 2   Principles to Practice

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UT Building Meaningful Lives Kickoff.pdf
Download UT Building Meaningful Lives Kickoff.pdf

Building Meaningful Lives Webinar Series:
Join us for the full Building Meaningful Lives for Youth with Complex Needs and Fostering a Community of Practice (CoP) training by registering in MIDAS #60202.

Click here for more information
Download Click here for more information. Click here for stipend information for attending.
Download Click here for stipend information for attending.

Registration is through MIDAS #60202. Other agencies can register by clicking here
(Links to an external site.).

PRESENTERS:

Sara Murphy
Sara is the Director of WorkLink, TransCen’s San Francisco-based employment program for job seekers with disabilities. Sara is also a key contributor to the training and technical team where she works with employers, school districts, parent groups, and service providers. She also provides field support for many of TransCen’s federal and state initiatives. Currently, she is a subject matter expert for ODEP’s Employment First State Leadership Mentoring Program, where she provides technical assistance and consultation to state agencies and providers in capacity building in effective practice, system/provider transformation, school-to-work transition and employer engagement. For the past 30 years, Sara’s focus has been on school-to-work transition and employment for individuals with disabilities. She has extensive experience in direct service, policy and program development, and system transformation.
When asked what her passion is and what she can’t stop talking about, Sara will respond: “My work. My work. My work.” She also loves music, traveling to exotic locales, cooking/baking, taking her dog to the beach, and reading the New York Times on Sunday mornings.

Laura Owens
Laura, the President of TransCen, has over 30 years of experience, with a strong background as a national leader in the disability employment field. Laura is currently a Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in the Exceptional Education Department where she teaches courses focusing on high school inclusion and transition from school to work. She is also the founder and President of Creative Employment Opportunities, Inc. (CEO), in Milwaukee, which she founded in 1991. Prior to joining TransCen, Laura served as the Executive Director of APSE (the Association of People Supporting Employment First), a national organization focusing on the advancement of integrated employment for citizens with disabilities. She is an internationally known speaker having presented to businesses, organizations, schools, and at conferences in Israel, Ireland, Croatia, Canada, the Czech Republic, Chile, and Portugal.
A woman with seemingly limitless energy, Laura is passionate about her work and loves helping individuals with disabilities obtain and maintain employment. Working with individuals with disabilities is what she enjoys the most – and then she’s eager to support others in learning how to help individuals with disabilities pursue their dreams – from teachers to employment consultants to employers.

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2021 Transition Institute Nov 9 Building Meaningful Lives

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Slides

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Mar 1 | Community of Practice #2

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Building Meaningful Lives CoP #2 - March 1, 2022

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April 12 | Webinar III: Encouraging Post-School Independence & Creating Pathways to Employment

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Meaningful Lives 2.0 Principles to Practice - April 12, 2022 - Laura Owens and Sara Murphy

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Apr 26 | Community of Practice #3

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Building Meaningful Lives CoP #3 -April 26, 2022

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All Grade Levels - Instructional Resources for Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities - USBE

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Instructional Resources for Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities - USBE

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Instructional Resources for Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities - USBE

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Copy of Life Skills Assessment-blank 2022-1

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Meaningful Lives Nov 15, 2022 Community of Practice

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Building Meaningful Lives Webinar - Dec 8, 2022

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Overview

Transitioning from school to post-secondary settings can be challenging for students with disabilities. To support successful transition for our students, teachers and Individualized Education Plan (IEP) team members should assist students with disabilities in the process of developing critical skills and accessing services to achieve their post high school goals in employment, further education/training, and independent living.

The Transition planning process is critical in preparing students with disabilities for life after high school. Beginning at age 14 (or earlier if appropriate) IEP teams must develop Transition plans that include:

A student invite to the Transition IEP meeting

Age-appropriate Transition assessment(s),

Measurable postsecondary goals that acknowledge the students' strengths, needs, preferences and interests,

Transition services that support post-secondary goals

A course of study that aligns with the student's post-secondary goals

Annual IEP goal that links to the post-secondary goals

Linkages to outside agencies (if appropriate)

Utah State Board of Education Special Education Rules
Special Education Rules and Policies

Transition Application

This application is designed to help Utah students and family members plan and participate in the transition planning process. As a Utah student with a disability who is 14 years or older, or a family member of a transition age student, this app can help prepare for the Individualized Education Program (IEP) meeting where transition planning will be discussed, and the Postsecondary Transition Plan will be created.

Get the Application
Transition Elevated
Tips for Use

Utah's Transition Planning App: Tips for Use
This document is intended to provide ideas on how to engage youth in leading their IEP meeting. Use this tip sheet to generate ideas on how youth can use this application.

Support Materials

Welcome to my Transition IEP (coming soon)

How to Use the Utah Transition Elevated App to Prepare for Your Transition IEP
This is a sample of the student draft plan that is created once a student has gone through the steps using the Transition Elevated App.

How to Use this Paper Version of the Transition Elevated App
The paper application is intended to be used when technology isn't readily available or for youth to complete ahead of time and input information in one sitting. The application does not save, but a pdf can be generated and emailed to individuals the student chooses.

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Building Post School Success for Students with Complex Needs | Webinar #1

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November 16, 2023 Community of Practice (COP) #1

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November 16, 2023 Community of Practice (COP) #1

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Nov 16, 23 - Building Post School Succes for Student with Complex Needs Community of Practice #1

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Worklink Volunteer Programs- Sample Brochure for Developing Volunteer Learning Sites 

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Worklink Volunteer Programs- Sample Brochure for Developing Volunteer Learning Sites 

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Building Post School Success for Students with Complex Needs, Webinar #2 12-14-23

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Social Interactions Example Data Collection 

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Social Interactions Example Data Collection 

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January 10, 2024 Community of Practice #2

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January 10, 2024 Community of Practice #2

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Building Post School Success for Students with Complex Needs, Community of Practice #2 - 1/10/24

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Building Post School Success for Students with Complex Needs; Webinar #3 2/22/24

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March 21, 2024 Community of Practice #3 

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March 21, 2024 Community of Practice #3 

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3/21/24 - Building Post School Success, CoP #3

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October 23, 2024 - Building Post-school Success: Session #1

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2026 Building Post School Success Webinar