Wayzata Transition, the district's program for students with disabilities ages 18 to 22, is providing valuable work experience through a lost and found service for district elementary schools.
Last year, Transition Supervisor Allana Walsh saw a lot of clothes stacking up in the lost and found bins at some of the elementary schools. She saw an opportunity for her students to learn independent living skills such as laundering, sorting, folding and hanging clothes.
Walsh began collecting items herself by driving to schools to pick them up. Transition students wash the clothes from the lost and found, and return named items to their owners. Unclaimed items go to the Early Learning School or Interfaith Outreach Community Partners. Stained clothing is recycled into dog toys. Since January, more than 1,300 items have been donated.
This year, the program added a drop-off and pick-up service. Special education case manager Heather Baker came up with this idea. It helps students gain community work experience.
"This [partnership] has been fabulous," said Julie Rice, office paraprofessional at Kimberly Lane Elementary. "It's amazing. We love them and hope they never stop doing this."
Rice said she gets an email from a student before each pick-up. The email includes a photo and a short introduction. The student then collects the clothes and returns the named items a week later. Rice said that meeting the Transition students is always the highlight of her day.
Jessica Schuster, an office paraprofessional at Birchview Elementary, said the service keeps their spaces tidy. It also stops parent volunteers from getting overwhelmed.
"We appreciate the process so much and are thrilled to be able to participate," Schuster said.
Baker stated that she hopes to expand the program to other schools in the future.
