ECNV I Am Self-Advocacy Program: In-School Reflection and Summer Session 2023

By Hannah Roberts, Director of Programs

Originally Published in July 2023, ECNV Newsletter

Program Overview

The IASA Program is a Pre-Employment Transition Service (Pre-ETS) focused on helping students with disabilities, ages 14-22, hone their skills in self-advocacy through a combination of individual and group sessions. Funded by the Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS), this program is offered to students referred by the Fairfax, Alexandria, Leesburg, and Manassas DARS offices.

Students in the IASA program work with their peer mentor in weekly one-on-one sessions at a speed and level that is individualized and conducive to their learning.  During the weekly group sessions, they take what they have learned and delve deeper into program topics, participating in group activities and debates with their peers.  By the end of the program, the students will have put together their own self-advocacy portfolio to include things they learned regarding self-awareness, disability awareness, self-determination, disability rights and responsibilities, how to be assertive, and how to engage allies and be an ally to others.

In-School Reflection

ECNV has been busy launching the I Am Self-Advocacy (IASA) Summer Program, but before we highlight that, let’s look back at our in-school pilot program at Alexandria City High School. Offered as a 16-week program model, IASA facilitators and peer mentors worked with nine high school students from February through June. This pilot allowed us to diversify how this program can be administered, providing us with valuable experience as we continue to foster partnerships with schools and other community organizations across Northern Virginia. Additionally, this experience provided us with further insight to enhance our program to work more cohesively with the rigorous high school schedule. Perhaps the most exciting aspect of the in-school IASA Program is the development of the three peer mentor interns. We intend to build off this success as we pivot our focus to the Summer Program.

Summer Session Update

We launched our first summer program session in 2022 and we are excited as we begin our second offering of this 4-6 week program model. ECNV started this session at the end of June, and it is set to end by early-August. Providing this program in the summer allows students to participate that would not be able to do so during the school year. As a more condensed model of this program, students are meeting with their peer mentors individually twice a week while also participating in two group sessions per week.

Leadership Fridays is an in-person offering unique to the summer program. Based on the experiential learning model, these select Fridays will include continued discussion on weekly topics, guest speakers, and community-based activities. Our first Leadership Friday will take place on July 14th, and we expect the students will have a lot of fun while building on their learning experience in the program.

How to Sign-up

Students interested in participating in the IASA program should talk to their special education teacher or Employment and Transition Representative (ETR) at their school for assistance.  Alternatively, reach out to your local DARS office to get started.  All referrals must come from DARS.

ECNV’s IASA program continues to evolve with the needs of the community, students, and their families. Be on the lookout for more enhancements to come!