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Only $1,100.00 Needed

 

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Goal

The purpose of this project is to provide students with exceptionalities a real-world, hands-on experience to develop their employability and independent living skills. While our curriculum focuses on workplace readiness, it can be challenging for students to fully understand what positive workplace behavior looks like without seeing it in action. This project addresses the need for experiential learning by taking students into the community to engage in "secret shopping" activities, where they will observe, analyze, and discuss characteristics of strong employees and customer service interactions.
Many of our students face barriers to employment due to limited work experience and difficulty generalizing classroom lessons to real-world situations. By observing actual workplace environments, students will gain a deeper understanding of expectations, build their confidence, and develop the social and problem-solving skills necessary for long-term success.
 

 

Category

Other -  

 

What will be done with my students

This project will take place over the course of the school year and will consist of regular outings into the local community. Students will visit a variety of businesses, such as retail stores, restaurants, and service-based companies.
During each outing, students will act as "secret shoppers," observing interactions between employees and customers. They will use a structured checklist to guide their observations, looking for specific characteristics of excellent customer service and workplace professionalism.
After each visit, the class will participate in a group reflection activity, where they will analyze what they observed and connect it to their own employment and independent living goals. Students will also make small purchases during some visits to practice handling money and navigating real-world transactions.
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Observation Criteria Example
• Greeting & First Impressions: Did the employee greet customers in a friendly way?
• Appearance & Professionalism: Was the employee dressed appropriately for their role?
• Communication: Did the employee speak clearly and respectfully?
• Helpfulness: Did the employee go above and beyond to meet customer needs?
• Problem-Solving: How did the employee handle a challenge or question?
• Teamwork: Did employees work well together or support one another?
• Environment: Was the business organized and welcoming?
• Customer Satisfaction: Did the customer appear happy with their experience?

Many of our students learn best through hands-on, experiential learning. While we discuss employability skills in the classroom, seeing real-world examples brings these concepts to life and makes them easier to understand and remember. 

 

Benefits to my students

By the end of this project students will be able to identify and describe at least 5 employability skills, demonstrate improved social and navigation skills. Practice money management skills, increase self awareness.  

 

Budget Narrative

Funds from this grant will be used to cover transportation costs for community outings, as many of our students rely on group transportation to access local businesses. In addition, funds will support the purchase of meals during restaurant visits, allowing students to practice ordering and paying for food as part of their independent living skills. Finally, small purchases at retail locations will be incorporated into lessons to provide hands-on practice with money management and real-world transactions.
 

 

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