Headlines/April 1, 1999

New Mission program provides workplace training
to students with disabilities |

People with learning disabilities in
Mission now have the chance to learn
job skills in their own town,
thanks toa new training
program offered by the |
University College of the
Fraser Valley.

The Workplace Adult
Special education program,
offered at UCFV’s Mission
campus at Heritage Park = ©
Centre, trains students in
general employability skills,
and also allows them to
specialize in either Room -
Attendant training or
Eco-Tourism/Trail Building
and Maintenance. It is
funded through an
Opportunities grant from
Human Resources
Development Canada.

The program, taught by .
Bonnie Hamilton and Maryke Boer
with assistance from Carla Petker,
started in October and runs through
April.

Students take a number of classroom
modules including academic upgrading,
computer training, employability skills,
personal management skills and
community cultural exploration as well
as Structure of Intellect remediation.

“We've visited the Clarke Foundation
Theatre, had a visit from the museum
and generally talked about the area,”
says Hamilton. “Since both of our —
specialities are tourism related, I wanted
our students to be as aware of Mission
and the region as possible.”

They also learned about eco-tourism
from UCFV biology instructor Sharon

First Aid, Employment Standards and
_ SuperHost.

Mission Workplace ASE students working on the

trail-building portion of their program.

Once the students completed their
first set of classroom modules, they did
on-site training. Six did eco-tourism
related work in conjunction with the

' Mission School District and the Heritage

Park Arts and Education Society, and
seven learned about being room
attendants at the Best Western Mission
City Lodge.

The eco-tourism students worked on

trail maintenance, and the pond project
and trails at Heritage Park Centre. Jim
Williamson worked at the HPC site with
the students, showing them how to build
and maintain trails, use tools, and put in
a hard day of physical labour. They also
planted trees, supplied by the District of
Mission, with Jim Taylor’s Cedar Valley
School students.

The room attendant students worked

“The onsite training was extremely
valuable,” commented Hamilton. “You
can talk to people about how
to make a bed properly, but
it’s not the same thing as
doing it. The Mission City
Lodge was very responsive
and generous in allowing us
to come in.”

When asked what they
liked about their training, the
students gave a range of
enthusiastic responses.

“It was interesting to work
_at the hotel because now |

know how they do things like
replacing amenities, cleaning
the kitchen area, and making
the beds. I had no idea what
~ hospital corners were before!”
commented Susanna
Stratulat.

“It was also very
interesting because I’m very curious and
I saw a lot of things and people, like —
when the Boston Ballet came to town,”
said Joyce Friesen.

“T liked working with a chainsaw,

7 clearing trails, moving branches and

using the special gloves and rain gear,”
said Hart Wachsmann.

“The experience made us more aware
of what’s involved:in a job such as
building a bridge or dam,” commented
Chern Nagra.

Students are now on work experience

practica with businesses throughout

Mission and Abbotsford. The Mission
Association for Community Living is
providing on-site supervision for the
eco-tourism students during their
practicum working on hiking trails in

- Gillies and took several workshops, with a Pacific Rim Institute of Tourism the District of Mission.
including WHMIS, Infectious Diseases, certified trainer, Iluminada Cariaga, at.
the Best Western Mission City Lodge.
Keep switchboard

Do you know an outstanding UCFV student?
Lieutenant Governor’s Medal |
e Awarded to a student graduating from a program of less than two years’ duration.

e Nominees must have both a high academic standing and have been active
members in their programs and/or the UCFV community in general.
To find out more about nominating a UCFV student for this award,
contact Student Financial Aid Services at UCFV at 864-4601 or
792-0025, local 4601.

“in the loop” —

Just a reminder that when you
make your plans to close your
department for meetings, PD, .
or for other reasons, please be
sure to give the switchboards
ample notice of your intentions. —
Also, please indicate this .
closure on your departmental
mailbox if you have one.

—From Marilyn Fairclough