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Now Accepting Applications for Spring 2011 – Tours Available throughout the Fall The Staff Assistant Experience at Ramapo for Children A Unique Transition to Independence Program for Young Adults with Special Needs Ages 18-25

"Seeing my son last weekend, I was immediately aware that he is happy and feeling great. This is truly the best experience he has had!  He is working hard, learning a lot, and having a great experience that is really building his self confidence.";
                                      - Parent of a Staff Assistant The Staff Assistant Experience is designed for young adults with special needs who are on the road to independence.  Each staff assistant is matched with a job coach and a mentor to provide individualized instruction and feedback in order to develop job-related, independent living, and social skills in an engaging and stimulating environment. Young adults with special needs work, learn, and grow within an inclusive community, and enjoy opportunities to utilize new strengths and abilities.
 
The program offers:
One-on-one coaching and mentoring tailored to the needs and goals of each participant

A wide variety of available work experiences in a supportive, caring community

A culture that promotes lifelong learning, health and self-care, meaningful communication, self-advocacy, and personal responsibility

Leadership and supervision from a resident professional staff with substantial experience working with special needs populations

 The Staff Assistant Experience is built upon the belief that adaptive
living and relationship-building skills are best developed within a
meaningful context of community living.  Work experiences include but
are not limited to the following fields: adventure programming
(cooperative games, group problem-solving experiences,
hiking/orienteering, boating/canoeing, and campfire cooking); camp
counseling; food service; maintenance; landscaping; housekeeping; and
office support.  In addition to work experiences, participants are
involved in family-style dining, cooking, laundry, meal planning,
shopping for groceries, and recreational activities.
 
The Ramapo campus operates year-round and is supervised by a highly
experienced leadership team of educators and a professional program
staff of 20, including a group of 10 members of AmeriCorps, the
national service learning program. Ramapo has a long history of
including older adolescents and young adults in on-the-job work
experiences and preparing them to become summer and year-round staff.
For more than 20 years, Ramapo has employed former teen campers as
summer interns. Today, approximately 10 percent of the staff on the
Rhinebeck campus are former campers who now work as supervisors,
program specialists, food service providers, and groundskeepers.
 
For more information and to apply, call (212) 754-7003 or email
sae@ramapoforchildren.org