WVUSD Seeks Donations for New Program

The Walnut Valley Unified School District plans to put a portion of the Ron Hockwalt Academies Lemon Avenue campus to use with a new program to aid students with disabilities.

The district plans to launch the Hockwalt Resource & Transition Center in the fall, which will serve disabled students 18 to 22 years old who are earning a certificate of completion from high school and who need extra support with transitioning to adulthood, according to a news release.

The program will be located in a house on campus that shares the property with the neighboring school, officials said.

"The HARTT Center aids in the development of a continuum of transition skills based on each student’s unique level of ability with the goal of successfully transitioning to adult living," officials wrote in the news release. "Skills are developed using community-based instruction in addition to classroom instruction."

The district is looking for tax-deductible donations from the community for a planned kitchen that will be set up at the center.  Items needed include dishes, cookware, silverware, utensils, dishes, placemats, and napkins.

Also in need are local businesses willing to provide possible work experience jobs for the program's participants.

Send an email to Judi Koorndyk, coordinator of special education, at jkoorndyk@wvusd.k12.ca.us for information on how to donate to the program or provide work experience for the students.