If a school or youth organization wishes to affiliate and become a CTS program site, additional technical assistance is available from NCSET. Since its inception, our staff has worked with affiliated organizations to develop funding, secure technology resources, recruit partner organizations, train participants, and perform program evaluations. We know that initiating a program is complicated and we want to help in any way we can.

Benefits of Affiliation

There are substantial benefits to establishing this formal commitment and becoming an affiliate. These include:

• Professional training on the model by NCSET staff and others who have had success in implementing and expanding the CTS model.
• Ongoing technical assistance and support by NCSET staff including help in curriculum development to align CTS activities with classroom instruction.
• Site visits by NCSET staff and other CTS trainers to assist in implementation, expansion, and evaluation.
• Partnership in a nationally recognized, effective e-mentoring program.
• Support in seeking funding to support your CTS site.
• Links with other CTS sites around the country to share strategies and best practices.
• Participation in the research effort gathering information on the impact of e-mentoring on the transition outcomes for youth with disabilities.

Standards for Affiliation

Affiliation is a simple process by which localities or states join a national network of CTS sites that are committed to providing mentoring opportunities for youth with disabilities through e-mail. Member sites must also adhere to a set of standards:

• There must be a formal agreement with NCSET.
• There must be an identified lead partner to establish the relationships necessary for success – business, education, youth-serving organization, and community relationships.
• There must be identification and allocation of resources necessary (in-kind, human, technology, and financial) to implement the program.
• There must be a commitment of business partner(s) and of the youth-serving organization (including schools) to support the implementation.
• There must be a commitment to follow the basic CTS model, including screening and safety standards, face-to-face meetings, the use of an intermediary, and a focus on employment-related skills.

To begin the affiliation process, contact:

Ann Mavis
National Center on Secondary Education and Transition
Institute on Community Integration
University of Minnesota
6 Pattee Hall, 150 Pillsbury Drive SE
Minneapolis, MN 55455
Phone: 612-624-1489
Email: ncset@umn.edu

This page was last updated on October 2, 2007.