2015 Pre-Conference Session Descriptions These full-day sessions will be offered on Tuesday, July 14, 2015, prior to the main conference. Breakfast and lunch are included. For more information, visit www.regonline.com/PS2015 Creating a Calendar for Success: This course will detail the activities of successful programs by creating an annual calendar of the Project SEARCH® year. Important topics such as student recruitment, internship development, job search, Family Involvement, and marketing will be folded into the year. The presenters are veteran Project SEARCH® instructors who will draw on their experiences as well as ideas from the audience. Session participants will learn specific strategies for each month of the year. In addition to typical Project SEARCH activities, the session will include ideas for:  Summer engagement activities  Student-led employment planning meetings  Intern professional-development components  Intern-developed podcasts  Unique job matching/development procedures Get ready to add some fun additional activities to the year that help build leadership and confidence! Each participant will receive a packet that will contain specific tools/resources for implementing a successful program year. From July to June, your calendar for success will be complete! This program is recommended for new or almost new program instructors, job coaches, VR counselors, Business Liaisons, or administrators; anyone can gain new insight/strategies to increase your program’s success. The Job Search Process: The job search is the culmination of the Project SEARCH interns’ preparation and training. Every activity throughout the year leads to this process so that each intern is able to obtain meaningful competitive employment in the community that matches his or her interests and skills. This training will identify tools for how to market the interns to potential employers while promoting the business benefits of hiring individuals with disabilities. Successful strategies and tools for job development will be shared that include utilizing a Business Advisory Committee, networking in the community, conducting job analyses, and negotiating with employers. This session is recommended for anyone who wants to increase them employment outcomes! Systematic Instruction: Introduced in our field over 30 years ago, Systematic Instruction continues to be an essential tool in expanding employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities. It supports those who experience greater challenges in learning, and who may not be considered "job ready." In addition, the skills developed in task analysis and individualized teaching strategies allow for consideration of jobs or tasks that may have been perceived as too complex for supported employment candidates. Emphasis will be placed on strategies to maximize independence and decrease dependence on the trainer. This session will provide an overview of the components of Systematic Instruction including utilizing a task analysis to prepare the trainer, to document progress, and to address concerns of safety and independent job performance. We will also discuss the importance of accommodating learning style through individualized teaching strategies. Teaching and Coaching for Success: This session emphasizes both educational and supported employment strategies presented in the context of the Project SEARCH environment. Sound, research-based techniques are demonstrated—showing how they can be used to meet high expectations of employment for each Project SEARCH intern. We demonstrate how to design meaningful internships in which students can gain competitive job skills. This analysis begins at the level of the broader community (the 5000-foot level), and progresses to the hands-on teaching of complicated tasks at the internship site (the 5-foot level). The training describes some new ways of tracking skill acquisition that make use of Lean tools and customized vocational student profiles. Creative ways to teach employability skills are also presented in light of their critical importance in the success of any young worker. Partnerships and roles of each Project SEARCH partner are highlighted. This training is recommended for any new Project SEARCH team, especially the instructor, job coaches, and vocational rehabilitation counselor.