NEW ORLEANS – (May 8, 2020) - NOLA Public Schools, in collaboration with community partners, recently launched a web-based resource guide designed to assist students with disabilities transitioning into life after their high school careers. The resource guide is a virtual substitute for NOLA-PS’ third annual NOLA-PS Transition Resource Fair, which had to be canceled this year due to the COVID-19 public health crisis.

The purpose of the NOLA Public Schools Transitions Resource Guide is to connect students with disabilities and their families, as well other educators and professionals, with the range of programs, supports, and services that are available as individuals prepare for adulthood. Areas covered include employment, community access, housing, independent living, financial planning and legal rights. The guide is free and accessible to the public and will provide critical information about supportive programs to students with Individualized Education Programs (IEP) or 504 accommodations as well as their families, employers, and support providers.

More than 60 local organizations and agencies are participating and have provided information about their missions, updates on how COVID-19 has impacted agency and organizations services as well as links to accessible audio and video resources for students.

“NOLA Public Schools has a responsibility to help all our students navigate through a successful transition after their high school careers,”said NOLA-PS Superintendent of Schools Dr. Henderson Lewis, Jr. “I am excited to see NOLA-PS’ Exceptional Children’s Services team think outside the box, by transforming what has been, for the past two years, a robust Transitions Fair event to an informative digital resource guide, to ensure our students with disabilities and their families continue to receive the critical information and support they need to pursue independent citizenship and improve their quality of life.”

NOLA-PS would like to thank the steering committee that helped develop this resource guide and all of the community partners who collaborated on this critical support for students and families across our community of schools. The organizations and agencies listed include: New Orleans College Prep, New Orleans Charter Science & Math High School, Einstein Charter Schools, Opportunities Academy, New Beginnings Schools Foundation, Algiers Charter Schools Association,InspireNOLA Charter Schools, ReNEW Schools, Urban League of Greater New Orleans,FirstLine Schools, KIPP New Orleans, McDonogh 35 Senior High School, Café Reconcile, and Louisiana Accessible Education Materials.


“The need for students and their families to be made aware of these organizations has become even more significant in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and distance learning mandates,”said NOLA-PS Chief of Exceptional Children's Services Dr.Shayla Guidry Hilaire, “To meet this need NOLA Public Schools has reached out to agencies and organizations in the areas of employment support, job training, education, advocacy, independent living, community access, housing, recreation and leisure.”

Students and families can access the resource guide by visiting: www.nolapublicschools.com or clicking on this link.

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ABOUT NOLA PUBLIC SCHOOLS: NOLA Public Schools is the public school district for Orleans Parish, which includes the district’s elected school board, known as the Orleans Parish School Board and the district’s administration led by NOLA Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Henderson Lewis Jr. NOLA Public Schools currently oversees 78 public schools. For more information visit www.nolapublicschools.com. For updates, follow NOLA Public Schools on Facebook @NOLAPublicSchools, Instagram @nolaps and Twitter @NOLAPSchools.