October 2022

IPS NEWSLETTER

IPS Launches

First Program!

Our long-awaited vision has finally come to life with the start of the IPS pilot program!  

On October 3, we welcomed four students for a month-long program to explore the trade of carpentry and learn workplace readiness skills. Each day, this talented class of students brings excitement, curiosity and enthusiasm to IPS, where they rotate between social-emotional learning, safety, workplace readiness and carpentry lessons. We can’t think of a better way to recognize National Disability Employment Awareness Month, which is in October!

We have witnessed so much growth already in our students! The focus of our program is teaching about workplace safety such as best tool practices, the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and its importance in construction as well as mini-lessons about workplace readiness, career exploration and social emotional growth.

Our space features a classroom area as well as indoor and outdoor space to work on individual as well as group carpentry projects. Project-based learning is a large part of the curriculum and students have been working on projects where they measure and saw wood then hammer, sand and finish. The curriculum blends soft skill instruction on concepts such as the importance of communication, self-advocacy and teamwork with carpentry instruction to teach social and communication strategies throughout the day.

Testing out our unique curriculum will help IPS build a more effective program for students next school year, which will start in late August 2023 and end in June 2024. We are so grateful to have the opportunity to teach students and receive feedback from them as well as our teaching team on the curriculum. 

Thank you to our many supporters, including Celebrate Fairfax Inc. for donating space, who helped make this program possible! We are so excited for the many good things to come! Please check out next month’s newsletter with a wrap up of our pilot program!

— The IPS Team

IPS Welcomes 

Max Hochberg & Kelly Kim!

Among the teaching team at the pilot program are two fantastic professionals who joined IPS last month, Carpentry Teacher Max Hochberg and Behavioral Assistant Seulki Kim, who is known by Ms. Kelly to the students.

Along with Behavioral Teacher Arlene Lechner, Max and Kelly rotate our students through soft skill and carpentry lessons throughout the day. The team helps students individually to reinforce concepts or work on safety procedures, carpentry projects and career exploration activities.

Max brings a variety of experiences to IPS including working as a building manager at a local company, a shop technician where he gained experience in safety procedures and related trades such as metalwork and milling, as well as serving as support staff at recreational programs for differently-abled teens and adults. Max also earned a degree in coastal environmental science.

Along with raising a differently-abled child, Kelly is currently in the graduate BCBA certification program at Webster University. She also serves as a staff member of programs at the Pozez Jewish Community Center of Northern Virginia for differently-abled teens and adults. Kelly earned her bachelor’s and master’s degree in Korea before moving to the US several years ago.  

“Our team is very skilled at meeting the students’ needs and pivoting to help them learn best,” said IPS cofounder/CEO Naina Narayana Chernoff. “Arlene, Kelly and Max exemplify professionalism and work together seamlessly. We truly appreciate all of the passion and energy they bring to creating a positive learning environment.”

Are you interested in our 2023 program or know someone who is? Forward them this newsletter to sign up for our mailing list so that can get info about our application process and deadlines for the 2023/24 program! Thank you!