Pathways to Opportunities

Pathways to Opportunities is a collaborative educational initiative between Northeast Arc and Lynn Classical High School.

The program will provide students in grades 9-12 the opportunity to create connectedness through a mentorship program that will also provide life-skill building, activity, mentorship, and paid participation and internships. The multi-year program will serve as a connection for participating students, empowering them to discover personal growth through collaborative experiences. One goal of this program is to develop a pipeline of diverse, well-prepared, and caring staff for human service agencies, including Northeast Arc. Students, upon graduation, would be given priority application status to open positions at Northeast Arc and will be supported, if they choose, to take full advantage of tuition reimbursement and tuition remission programs available to Northeast Arc employees.

The program will be free of charge for participants and will provide them with financial incentives including stipends and paid internship opportunities.

Goals for Students:

• Develop meaningful relationships
• Discover interests and skills
• Develop enhanced life skills
• To be able to recognize they have value, and they offer value to others
• Create connections for post-graduation

Cohort Topics May Include:

• Time management, planning, and project management development through hosting activities with Best Buddies.
• Mentoring, teaching, leadership, and teamwork skills through participation in unified sports with Special Olympics
• Financial literacy
• Team-building activities focused on problem-solving, following instructions, and reliance on others
• Career path planning with live discussions with professionals who have gone to work directly after high school and built their careers through experience and pursuing post-secondary education when they were ready
• Communication skills for use in social settings, in job interviews, and on social media
• Discussion on diversity, equity, and inclusion including knowing employment laws
• Health care advocacy – how to talk with a practitioner
• CPR, First Aid, and other skill-based trainings that are available to community members
• Training on disability and autism