Opportunities for Education, Vocation and Life.
Our College Step-Up & Transitions Program (CSU-T) exists to serve youth who need a supportive environment to realize the unique and tremendous potential that they all possess.
Armed with compassion and a fierce sense of commitment, CSU-T Program staff maintain a strategic focus on each student by helping them develop the tools necessary to further their education. Staffers also link students with specialized educational services, including job readiness training and life skills development. Additionally, they work with each student to create a strong network of important adults who can give them a sense of relational permanence.
We pride ourselves on our courageous authenticity and our student-centered, goal-directed and evidence-informed approach.
CSU-T Participants
- Have a strong desire for a successful high school to college transition or
- Have an interest to develop the skills necessary to successfully enter the workforce.
- Want to be part of a supportive learning community.
- Welcome the academic instruction, vocational training and life skills development offered.
- Are looking to develop a collaborative network of adults and peers.
CSU-T Staff
The CSU-T staff consists of:
- An Education/Career Navigator that conducts comprehensive educational/career assessments of participants, identifying and prioritizing educational/career paths and/or needs; creates educational/career stability plans and Future Plan and Progress Reports (FPPR); and provides linkages with career centers, financial aid and year-round supportive housing. The Education/Career Navigator will also determine other basic assistance needs for participants to achieve their educational goals.
- The Transitions Advisor focuses on job readiness training, supportive housing, adult daily living skills and life skills development, and creates a similar FPPR. The report includes a housing and transitions plan that determines the amount and types of assistance needed to regain stability in permanent housing.
The CSU & Transitions Triads
Our approach to teaching is dynamic, and the triads are at the core of the CSU-T program.
Education
- Education is the core of the Academic Track.
- A successful high school to college transition and post-secondary education increases earning potential as well as human capital.
- We are committed to helping students plan and follow through with an appropriate course of study.
Job Readiness
- Entering the workforce successfully requires a polished set of skills and job readiness training.
- Employment competence is the awareness and understanding of what it means to be employable. It includes a mastery of basic skills, development of marketable skills, and the ability to pursue career interests, options, and opportunities.
- Participants in the Vocational Track develop the employment competence and skill set necessary to enter the workforce and pursue their career interests.
Life Skills
- Life skills development is another important ingredient in the recipe for success in the CSU-T Program.
- Obtaining a post-secondary degree/certificate and living independently takes a strong set of life skills and that is why we made it a part of both TRIADS.
Community Engagement
- It is a proven fact that people need people.
- Lasting success is possible when we can rely on others from time to time.
- In the CSU-T Program, we help students develop a network of peers and adults that will become lifelong support ties wherever they land in life.
