Learning what you and your community have to offer
About our program:
Ensuring special needs students have proper transition from school to
community is critical in creating productive citizens.
Transition U is a program that addresses this issue. Through our
partnership with Jacksonville State University, transition students
experience hands-on activities, mentoring, and behind-the-scenes field
trips. The students discover not only what their community has to offer
but also what they can offer their community.
Transition U is offered to 18-21 year old students from the different
school systems in Calhoun and Cleburne counties prevocational classes
as a way to further prepare them for the next phase of their lives.
Most of our students attend school until they are 21 years of age. They
typically do not get much community experience outside of what our
classrooms provide. Also, there is limited interaction with same age
peers. With partnership with JSU, we are able to broaden the high school
students’ transition skills in a university community setting and provide
them opportunity to interact with those same-age peers.
Our program pairs our students with JSU students who are majoring in
not only special education but also general education. The experience
gained by the JSU students is invaluable. They are given the task of
planning the activity and lesson for the day. In addition, the JSU
students have the opportunity to socialize informally with the high school
students during excursions to various pre-planned destinations and over
lunch in the college dining facility.
What we do:
 Classroom lessons developed and taught by JSU students
 Read and follow the bus schedule for the JSU transit system, The
Gamecock Express, both on and off campus
 On campus field trips to different departments such as
maintenance, grounds keeping, food services.
 Off campus field trips to area businesses for potential job
placement as well as shopping trips
 Tours of campus to places such as library, art gallery, and all
athletic facilities
Starting your own program:
 Talk to your special education coordinator
 Talk to your local university
 Transportation
Funding:
 Classroom money
 Local businesses
 Senators and representatives
 Grants
University information:
 Collaboration with area school and JSU administrators and faculty
 Collaboration between local high school transition teachers and
JSU special education faculty
 Utilization of JSU facilities (i.e. transit system, technology,
classrooms, etc.)
 Arrangements for visits to on and off campus facilities for
vocational and employment presentations by managers and
appropriate personnel
 Collaboration with local area agencies (i.e. County Extension)
 Encourage JSU student participation from both education and
non-education majors
 Utilize program for projects related to JSU Transition and
practicum classes
 Applied for and received JSU Faculty Research Grant for funding
program
 Plans in progress to collect and analyze data for evidence of
positive outcomes for both high school students and JSU students
Contact information:
Beth Eller
Prevocational Teacher
Alexandria High School
256-741-4424
beller.ah@ccboe.us
Jackie Kelley
Prevocational Teacher
Walter Wellborn High School
256-236-4800
jkelley.wl@ccboe.us
Cynthia Connor, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Special Education
Department of Curriculum and Instruction College of Education &
Professional Studies
Jacksonville State University
256-782-8058
cconnor@jsu.edu
Lynetta Owens, Ed.S
Instructor of Collaborative Education
Department of Curriculum and Instruction College of Education &
Professional Studies
Jacksonville State University
256-782-5086
lowens@jsu.edu