Empowering Futures Through Actionable Transition

YES, Always You! Academy is a dynamic transition program preparing high school students with an IEP for life after graduation. The experience is shaped by coordinated partnerships, applied learning, and structures that support agency, informed decision-making, and early career development.

Held monthly at the Community College of Beaver County, each session is provided at no cost and includes hearty morning refreshements and lunch. The sessions follow an intentional sequence and theme-based design, offering skill development, career exploration, and direct engagement with professionals across sectors. Participants interact with real environments, expand their awareness of expectations, and strengthen their capacity to plan for the future.

The Academy fully aligns with the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and Pennsylvania’s 10-Year Economic Development Strategy. As a Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) provider, it delivers instruction across all five required service areas: job exploration counseling, work-based learning experiences, postsecondary education counseling, workplace readiness training, and self-advocacy instruction.

Programming supports Indicator 13 and 14 outcomes through measurable, structured participation that bridges the transition from school to employment or further education with clarity and purpose.

A Pathway Designed for Impact

Core Elements of the Academy

College-Based Learning Environment
Students participate in sessions hosted on a college campus, gaining early exposure to higher education, independence, and a future-focused space that reflects their capability and potential. Community College of Beaver County staff and administration engage with participants at every session, offering insight into careers and both degree and non-credit pathways. Each department also shares opportunities within the college itself, connecting students to real jobs in higher education.

Career Awareness and Workforce Readiness
Each session features employer partners who introduce students to key industries and share how to access those careers. Through interactive presentations and sector-specific discussions, students gain both exposure and entry points into fields aligned with their interests. Programming supports OVR’s Pre-ETS priorities, reinforcing career exploration, self-advocacy, and workplace readiness.

Life Skills and Independence
Students are equipped with tools that support daily living, such as communication, time management, financial literacy, hygiene, and self-advocacy. Activities and simulations build personal agency and the ability to navigate responsibilities beyond graduation.

Youth Leadership and Personal Responsibility
Through Pathways in Practice, students take on purposeful responsibilities during each session, reinforcing ownership, initiative, and peer collaboration. These experiences mirror foundational elements of OVR’s Youth Ambassador model and contribute to long-term skill development.

Integrated School and Family Engagement
Districts coordinate transportation and maintain IEP team involvement. The Academy fosters collaboration among families, educators, and community partners, ensuring transition planning is connected, measurable, and student-centered.

Milestone Recognition and Celebration
Student progress is acknowledged throughout the year through intentional recognition that affirms growth, supports identity formation, and reinforces the value of each step taken toward future goals.

Why It Matters

In Beaver County, 72% of working-age residents ages 16–24 are not engaged in the workforce, a critical indicator of disconnection and untapped potential. This underscores the urgent need for intentional, outcomes-driven transition programming that bridges gaps and builds capacity.

YES, Always You! Academy is a direct, measurable solution. By aligning education, workforce, and community assets, the initiative strengthens postsecondary transition, activates regional talent pipelines, and promotes long-term economic mobility for students with IEPs.

This model is strategic, data-informed, and equity-centered. It is designed to affirm capacity, expand access, and deliver pathways that students, and entire communities, can build upon.

Ready to Say YES?

Families interested in YES, Always You! Academy are encouraged to contact us directly or begin the conversation with their child’s transition coordinator or special education director.

We are honored to partner with all 14 school districts in Beaver County, as well as New Horizon School, to support student transitions that are bold, well-supported, and future-focused.

The year ahead promises powerful momentum and meaningful outcomes, and YES, Always You! Academy is proud to lead this work in Beaver County with a vision to expand its impact in the years ahead.

Connect with YES, Always You!

YES, Always You! Academy In Action

YES, Always You! Academy Session – Secure the Bag

Held on October 29, 2025, at CCBC, this session focused on financial literacy and workforce readiness for students with disabilities.

Participants engaged with employer partners from Huntington Bank and Primerica, gaining insight into banking, savings, and insurance essentials for young adults. Master Builders Association introduced career pathways in Pittsburgh’s 16 Trade Unions, highlighting access points into skilled trades.

The featured video captures student participation in the Can I Afford It? simulation, a real-world activity designed to build decision-making skills around budgeting, independent living, and financial planning.

YES, Always You! Academy Session – Friendsgiving

Held at CCBC on November 14, 2025, this session brought service and connection together through a student-led Friendsgiving experience. Participants took on active roles through Purpose in Practice, supporting hospitality, conversation, and event flow.

Before sharing a meal with CCBC administrators and staff, students heard from Healing Hunger Beaver County about how volunteerism builds skills and opens doors to employment. The Executive Director, who began as a volunteer herself, highlighted career pathways in the nonprofit sector, particularly in food security and community impact. David, an ImpactWorks participant, shared his own experience volunteering at a local food pantry. His reflection, witnessed by his proud mother, underscored the personal and collective power of service.

Neighborhood North Museum of Play introduced careers in museums, the arts, and textile work, while inviting students to co-create the Always Woven Quilt, a collaborative design project that reflects their shared journey.

Jasmine, a participating student, shared her excitement about making new friends and enjoying the moment. Friendsgiving reminded everyone that social connection is vital, and that each contribution helps shape a stronger community.

YES, Always You! Academy Session - Communications and Storytelling Lab

Held at CCBC on December 14, 2025, this session

empowered students to own their voice and share their experiences through media and storytelling. Led by Seth Whitted of Whitted Media Content House, participants were introduced to the creative and technical aspects of podcasting including content creation, media production, sound engineering, and interview techniques. The session created space for agency, authenticity, and self-advocacy as students reflected on their lives and hopes with confidence and clarity.

CCBC’s Marketing and Public Relations Department expanded the learning by highlighting career paths in social media, event planning, design, photography, and marketing. They also shared how traditional and non-credit educational opportunities at the college can lead to those careers.

Students called this one of their favorite sessions, praising the opportunity to express themselves and gain real-world skills in storytelling. The experience deepened their understanding of media while affirming that their voices matter.