A student with a disability who meets the standard high school diploma requirements may defer the receipt of a standard high school diploma if the student:

1. has an IEP that prescribes special education, transition planning, transition services, or related services through the school year in which the student attains the age of twenty-two (22); and

2. is enrolled in accelerated college credit instruction, industry certification courses that lead to college credit, a collegiate high school program, courses necessary to satisfy the Scholar designation requirements, or a structured work-study, internship, or pre-apprenticeship program.

A student with a disability who receives a certificate of completion and has an individual education plan that prescribes special education, transition planning, transition services, or related services through the school year in which the student attains the age of twenty-two (22) may continue to receive the specified instruction and services.

DEP provides several different programs. Click on "District Extended Programs" below to learn more about each program.

District Extended Program (DEP) Agency Programs

The District Extended Program works with the following agency programs to help students and adults with disabilities throughout the community learn pre-employability skills, social and adaptive skills, developmental skills, self-confidence, and independence that they need to reach their full potential.

                                       ARC Gateway                                        

                         Pollak Training Center                         

1000 E. Fairfield Drive

850-438-5577

Adult Enrichment:

Adult day training program providing daily activities and experiences to develop positive work habits, social skills, self-image, adaptive skills, communications, self-care, independence, recreation, and leisure skills.

Secure Document Shredding:

Includes daily work in sorting documents to be shredded, running an industrial shredder, and picking up documents from local businesses.

Pollak Industries

2313 Truman Avenue

850-438-4651

Provides daily work in an industrial environment that includes plant sleeves, survey stakes and concrete products, recycling Mardi Gras beads, and packaging electrical parts.

Community-based Employment

2313 Truman Avenue

850-438-4651

Provides community-based work in small groups at minimum wage based on productivity.  Training provided in employability skills and good work habits.  Work includes industrial operations, grounds maintenance, and custodial services.

Capstone Adaptive Learning and Therapy Center, Inc.

2912 North "E" Street

850-432-1596

An adult program that provides vocational, mobility, social, computer, and adaptive skills training, as well as, training for adaptive equipment and art classes.

Capstone Adaptive Learning and Therapy Center, Inc. Employment Training Center

2600 W. Fairfield Drive

850-432-7477

School to Work transition program that provides young adults with computer and job skills training, as well as, job development and employment opportunities, through projects such as creating newsletters, brochures, building resumes, and accessing the Internet.

Pyramid, Inc.

7309 W. Hwy 98

850-453-3341

Adult day training program designed to work on skill-building, behavioral guidance, nutrition management, therapeutic re-positioning, community inclusion, performing/visual arts, and computer skills.

DEP

 Horticulture/Floriculture and Landscape Program

The District Extended Program (DEP) students will learn and experience what will prepare them for employment in the horticulture/floriculture and landscape industries.  Students learn from classroom lessons about seasons, climate, weather patterns, temperature zones, and geography and how all of these topics affect the horticulture, agriculture, floriculture, and landscaping businesses.  This program has partnered with one of our community leading nurseries, Floral Tree Gardens.  Students utilize this nursery to practice what they have learned in the classroom or on campus.

This program is offered at:

George Stone Technical College

2400 Longleaf Drive

Pensacola, FL  32526

DEP Instructor:  Lesa Stack

                                 (850) 777-0632

Elementary School Program

Students in the District Extended Program (DEP) can volunteer at Longleaf Elementary School if they are interested in working with children, the food service industry, or the custodial field.  This site has an on-site DEP Job Coach that helps to assist with vocational training.  The DEP Job Coach is responsible for job assignments and working with each student that is assigned to this school.   Students work in various classrooms assisting the teachers, the cafeteria, and with the custodial team to develop skills that will help them prepare for a paid position in the community.  This program is for students who need additional assistance with the development of vocational skills, as well as, employability skills that are necessary for obtaining and maintaining paid employment.

This program is offered at:

Longleaf Elementary School

2600 Longleaf Drive

Pensacola, FL  32526

Onsite DEP Job Coach:  Tracie Kelley

                                            (850) 436-7377

Environmental Services (EVS) Program

Students in the District Extended Program (DEP) will gain hands on custodial/janitorial work experience.  Specific skills are taught that are required to work as a custodial for the Escambia County School District.  Upon completion of this program, a certificate will be awarded to students who have mastered specific skills identified by the Custodian Department.

This program is offered at:

George Stone Technical College

2400 Longleaf Drive

Pensacola, FL  32526

DEP Instructor:  Laura Canapa

                              (850) 943-6678

Food Service Training Program

The food service training program is designed as a vocational, hands-on program for students who are interested in working in the food service industry.  The curriculum prepares students to take the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association SAFESTAFF Food-handler certification examination.  This is a 3-year certification that is required by all food service employees.

This program also has a School Based Enterprise (SBE) program named Delectable Edible Products where they make edible treats for humans and pets.

This program is offered at:

George Stone Technical College

2400 Longleaf Drive

Pensacola, FL  32526

DEP Instructor:  Julie Schuck

                        (850) 525-5812

Goodwill Gulf Coast

Students who are interested in retail employment have the opportunity to volunteer at Goodwill Gulf Coast.  The students learn many marketable skills that help them prepare for employment in the retail industry.

The Goodwill Gulf Coast liaison works with students to receive donations from the community, sort items by categories, pull inventory that is to be shipped to the warehouse, keep merchandise on the floor organized, develop customer service skills by interacting with individuals who visit the store, etc.

Goodwill Gulf Coast Liaisons:  Lisa Drew and Tom Barber

                            (850) 438-3699

For more information about their services and what they provide to our community visit their website at gesgc.org.

Project SEARCH

The goal for each program participant is competitive employment. To reach that goal, the program provides real-life work experience combined with training in employability and independent-living skills to help young people with significant disabilities make successful transitions to productive adult life. The Project SEARCH model involves an extensive period of skills training and career exploration, innovative adaptations, long-term job coaching, and continuous feedback from teachers, skills trainers, and employers. As a result, at the completion of the training program, students with significant intellectual disabilities are employed in nontraditional, complex and rewarding jobs. In addition, the presence of a Project SEARCH program can bring about long-term changes in business culture that have far-reaching positive effects on attitudes about hiring people with disabilities and the range of jobs in which they can be successful.

Eligibility

Project SEARCH serves young people with significant intellectual and developmental disabilities. Typically, these are high school students who are on an Individual Education Program (IEP) and in their last year of high school eligibility. The program can also be adapted to serve out-of-school youth and young adults who are beyond school age. The most important criterion for acceptance into Project SEARCH is a desire to achieve competitive employment.

Program Overview

Program participants (interns) attend the program for a full school year in the host business/hospital. The host business provides access to an on-site training room that can accommodate up to 12 interns. The site is staffed by a special education teacher and one to three skills trainers to meet the educational and training needs of the interns.

• Once the program year begins,the first few weeks are focused on intern orientation, hands-on skill assessment, and familiarization with the business environment. Interns develop a career plan, which guides the internship selection process and individualized job search.
• Employment Skills Curriculum:Throughout the program year, the interns work on employability and functional skills for approximately one hour of their day. Training room activities are designed around these focus areas: Team Building, Workplace Safety, Technology, Maintaining Employment, Self-Advocacy, Financial Literacy, Health and Wellness, and Preparing for Employment.
• Internships:Through a series of three targeted internships the interns acquire competitive, marketable and transferable skills to enable them to apply for a related position. Interns also build communication, teamwork, and problem-solving skills which is important to their overall development as a young worker. These are unpaid work experiences-analogous to the clinical rotations that are part of every medical school or business internship program. Potential internship sites are identified through a continuous collaborative process involving the instructor, skills trainers, and business liaison. These internship rotations begin a few weeks after the start of the program. Interns are required to interact with their supervisors via telephone and written communications to arrange a job interview to secure each rotation. A department mentor is identified at each site. The mentor interacts with the instructor, skills trainers, and the intern as a consistent source of guidance and feedback. Interns spend approximately five hours each day at the internships, which includes a thirty minute lunch. Working from a task list, they acquire the core skills necessary to be hired in an entry-level position at the host business site or in the community. Skills trainers and department staff collaborate to provide support for interns. The Project SEARCH staff delivers the training and develops job accommodations and standard work procedures. Once the interns master the core skills, additional skills are layered on to improve their marketability.

Job Development and Community Connections

During the last few months of the program the emphasis is on refining skills, achieving the career goal, and carrying out individualized job development. The Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor becomes an even more important part of the team as the job search process begins. Job development is based on the intern’s experiences, strengths, interests, and skills. Linkages to appropriate services in the community are critical at this stage, as interns prepare to graduate from the program, to ensure a successful transition to employment and adult life. Services are identified in the community that provide assistance with necessary adaptations required to perform a specific job.  Job coaching and long-term follow along are usually arranged through the local Developmental Disability organization. Upon satisfactory completion of the program (95% or better attendance, good attitude, successful skill acquisition at each job site) interns receive a Career Portfolio. The contents of the packet will vary among replicated program sites, but generally the packets contain a resume, letters of recommendation, a competency profile, and any awards or special recognition received while in the program.

Intern Selection

Interns are typically referred to the program through their schools, a family member, or Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor and apply in the winter and spring in the year prior to entering the program. A team representative of all the partners: Project SEARCH instructor, host business liaison, VR Counselor, community rehabilitation provider staff, and other appropriate personnel carry out the selection process. The process includes tours, student interviews, hands-on assessments at the host business, and scoring on a rubric related to entrance considerations.

*You must have a Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Counselor to apply. You can obtain a Project SEARCH application for next school year through your neighborhood high school. Contact the ESE OJT Coordinator, ESE High School Chairperson, or one of the Project SEARCH instructors listed below.

Project SEARCH Instructors:

Lisa Armstead: LArmstead@ecsdfl.us or (850) 777-0537

Shanta Boyd: SBoyd@ecsdfl.us or (850) 777-0617

Deadline for turning in your completed Project SEARCH application for the next school year is January 17 of the current school year (2025). 

School Based Enterprise (SBE)

"A school-based enterprise is a set of entrepreneurial activities undertaken by students that provides an economic, social, and educational return to the student, school, and community. Student efforts are designed to enhance personal responsibility, an appreciation of risk versus reward and confidence in achieving and maintaining independence" (Gamache & Knab, 2008, p. 6)

District Extended Program School-Based Enterprise allows students to work together to develop, implement, market, and sell a product. They learn the structure of a business and the importance of decision making, being responsible for their part of the business, job responsibilities, teamwork, listening, and being a valuable contributor in creating a product to sell. They use the proceeds to reinvest in their product and business.

This program is offered at:

Longleaf Elementary School

2600 Longleaf Drive

 Onsite DEP Job Coach: Tracie Kelley

                                              (850) 436-7377

Students may ask the following:

Will I get school credit?

OJT students may earn school credits toward graduation.  School credit is determined by the number of hours worked.  These hours must be submitted on an OJT time card with a supervisor’s signature.  School credit is awarded to both OJT non-paid work experience and OJT paid employment students.

Will I make any money?

OJT students may earn money in the first or second year of the program.  OJT non-paid work experience students will earn school credit toward graduation.  OJT paid employment students will earn money from their employer and school credit toward graduation.

How would I get to my job?

OJT non-paid work experience students are taken to the job by school bus.  The OJT paid employment students will have to make his/her own transportation arrangements, but we will assist you in planning your transportation.  If you need any suggestions for public transportation, please go to our Public Transportation page. 

Parents may ask the following:

Will my child’s SSI or Medicaid stop?

No.  An OJT Coordinator can help guide you to visit www.socialsecurity.gov/redbook.  This guide book will answer all your questions.

Who will handle problems on the job?

An OJT Coordinator will handle problems that may occur.  They will make periodic visits to the training site and will have even more contact with the supervisor.

How much will this cost me?

There is no cost.  OJT is one of the educational programs offered through our school district for exceptional students .

What about clothes?

Students are expected to dress appropriately for work.  Uniforms are sometimes required.

How will OJT help me and my child?

• Students receive school credit for their work experience.

• Students feel good about themselves.

• Grades typically improve.

• Opportunities for being employed after graduation are better.

• Students who have good experiences generally stay in school.

• Information about community agency services are shared with students and family.

• If you are new to our area or need suggestions for public transportation, we hope this information may help. This information is also provided so that if you have a child in one of our paid work programs (OJT or DEP) and they need to provide their own transportation, this may be a great starting point for you. 

  • ECAT (Escambia County Area Transit)

  • Ztrip Taxi Services

  • Lucky Cab Services

  • Royal Taxi & Limo

  • Uber

  • Lyft