Vermont Division for Blind and Visually Impaired
103 South Main Street
Weeks Building
Waterbury, Vermont 05671-2304
Telephone: 1-888-405-5005
http://www.dad.state.vt.us/dbvi/

Learn, Earn and Prosper (LEAP)

The Vermont Division for the Blind and Visually Impaired (DBVI) is in its first year of a three year grant from the Gibeny Foundation to develop partnerships with local non-profits, ReCycle North, Linking Learning to Life, the Vermont Youth Conservation Corp (VYCC) and the Vermont Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (VABVI) to provide community based training and paid work opportunities to transitioning student. The LEAP program engages blind and visually impaired youths in a program in which they learn skills that will help them become more independent, confident, and productive young adults. LEAP is an intensive, four-week program during which youth live with an adult VYCC Crew Leader, in an apartment-style suite. Throughout the experience, members will learn to use adaptive equipment to cook meals, shop for groceries, use public transportation, do laundry, and live as a community. Additionally, LEAP members gain employment skills by participating in one of five vocational training programs at ReCycle North. Through these programs, the participants will learn professional and interpersonal skills while helping ReCycle North accomplish its three-part mission of waste reduction, job skills training, and poverty relief. Following the four weeks of intensive training the students will receive follow up case management from DBVI or the Vermont Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired. Also as part of the follow-up, Linking Learning to Life will match students with role models, who are professionals in a field in which the student has expressed interest. For a period of one year, the student and his or her mentor will participate in weekly e-mail exchanges to discuss designated topics. The dialogue is intended to provide an opportunity to develop interpersonal skills, the constructive use of technology, career exploration, the use of resources and information, setting goals and devising means to reaching goals.

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