Nearly 50 students and parents received an opportunity to plan their futures on May 29 at the Connecting Pathways & Next Steps: Transition Fair. Academic and Behavior School West leaders organized the inaugural event to link attendees with representatives who can help guide students as they transition to adulthood. 

“At some point our kids are going to leave campus or maybe live on their own, but many families may not know the next step,” Principal Jatata Hutton explained. “Our job here today is bridging the gap between resources and information. That’s why we call it Connecting Pathways because we have to connect with the community for the betterment of Harris County students.”  

Businesses like H-E-B, Goodwill and Chick-fil-A discussed student employment opportunities upon graduation. Representatives from Houston Community College and the University of Houston were on hand to offer insight into higher education opportunities. Life Skills students with the potential to maintain their households were connected with Fort Bend Center for Independent Living employees. Other vendors included Starbucks, Family to Family Network, Camp Blessing Texas and Molina Healthcare.  

Harris County Department of Education’s two Academic and Behavior Schools (East and West) provide supportive learning environments for students aged 5-22 with intellectual, developmental and behavioral disorders, autism spectrum disorder and other health impairments. Many parents used the event to catch up with educators and discuss plans to continue education and intervention strategies throughout the summer.  

The Transition Fair created a space that empowered families with resources they may not have known existed and showed students a future filled with support.