31 | July | 2014 | SMARTvt – SMART Holdings USA

What a summer for our LEAP students!

LEAP (Learn, Earn and Prosper), a program designed for the blind and visually impaired that helps young people develop stronger career skills while working in the community, and gain life skills while exposing them to a number of colleges.

So far this summer, they’ve visited colleges such as Champlain College, University of Vermont, Community College of Vermont, Vermont Technical College and toured three working kitchens in Montpelier at the New England Culinary Institute. That’s not it! We’ve talked about the college application process; how to prepare letters of recommendation, strengthen their grades and to start working on their college essays. This group of students have great college options and will no doubt utilize them to the fullest. Way to go, students!

Navicators’ Corner

Meet Dhyana, Navicate’s College Connections Coordinator.

This summer I have worked with two different groups of English Language Learners from ReSource’s Helping Hands Grant. The Helping Hands Grant is an intensive job training program that helps ELL students become more self sufficient by exposing them to various employment and post secondary educational opportunities. Students have visited the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation and learned about the financial aid process; how grants differ from loans, great suggestions about completing the FAFSA and visiting VSAC’s Educational Opportunity Center. They have also gone to visit Community College of Vermont and learned about the certificate programs offered, majors and even heard from current CCV students who shared their struggles and successes transitioning to college.

As a group they have worked very closely on the college application process, such as the most effective ways to write a college essay. In addition, all of students participating have taken the Accuplacer and researched different plans on how to further their education after high school. This exposure to these educational options will hopefully encourage more of our English Language Learners to pursue post-secondary education.


Navicate recently received a $60,000 grantfrom the J. Warren and Lois McClure Foundation for the 2014-15 school year to help further Navicate’s mission of expanding the opportunity of work-based learning activities to more Vermont students. Continue Reading	Our Vermont Teacher Internship Program is well on its way for this summer but why not start planning ahead? The program is currently available to teachers in Burlington and Winooski School Districts who are looking for an opportunity to explore a new area of interest. Learn More	Earn extra cash thissummer! Sugarsnap Catering Company is looking for a Catering Assistant or how about a full-time job as a Painter this summer? See our full list of job opportunities.