By Cheril Lee
Omaha, NE – Iowa School for the Deaf has tripled the enrollment of its 4PLUS program.
Work Experience Coordinator Kristi Wills says 4PLUS stands for Post-Secondary Learning, Ultimate Success. The program works with deaf, hard of hearing students in Iowa and Nebraska. Wills says staffers assist the students with getting into community college or gaining employment. She says the program offers a variety of services including interpreting and job interviewing skills, "we do job coaching. So we have teachers and interpreters available to go out and train them. Not that the students need a lot of help. That's not the case. They are very successful, very capable individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. And so the trainee needs someone to help them with some communication needs, so we will place an interpreter there so they can train them on how to do the job."
The 4PLUS program is designed for students ages 17-21 who have finished high school but do not have a signed diploma. Details are available online at www.iadeaf.k12.ia.us.