Career Camp: Dean’s Story
December 19-30, 2022 - In partnership with Loews Resorts, Magnify of Central Florida launched Career Camp, a collaborative community partnership designed to help young people with intellectual and developmental disabilities gain the knowledge and tools needed to explore careers in the hospitality and healthcare industries. Through work- based learning, job readiness training, job exploration, and self-advocacy activities, participants in Career Camp develop important skills that translate into meaningful employment.
“This inaugural Career Camp was a wonderful success, and the transformations that took place in these students were both life-changing and inspirational,” said Lara Orsini, Manager of Project SEARCH at Magnify, “Dean was one such student.”
“We soon realized that Dean was very quiet and not especially responsive to conversations or questions,” said Orsini. Yet, as luck would have it, one of Dean’s Career Camp classmates was also a high school classmate and baseball teammate. Noticing that Dean was particularly at ease with his classmate, Magnify instructors used peer-to-peer learning techniques to help draw Dean out of his shell.
“Every day, lunchtime was undoubtedly Dean’s favorite part of the day – it was when he became most vocal and told staff what he wanted to order,” said Orsini. By the end of the two-week camp, Dean had grown enough in confidence that he went independently to the cafeteria and placed his own order – truly a remarkable transformation!
Dean further flourished when touring Loews’ food-related departments. “His exuberance was noticeable to us,” said Orsini, “and not just to staff, but to the resort managers, his parents, and other campers noticed it too.”
Over the years, Dean’s parents have worked hard to find activities and opportunities that spark joy for Dean, and according to them, he truly enjoyed attending Career Camp. “Magnify’s Career Camp seemed to be custom designed for my classically autistic son,” said his mom, Jill Goodman. “We have long thought working at a hotel was Dean’s best chance for employment, and this opportunity gave us that validation! Participants rotated through 5-6 different jobs at two luxury resorts. On the last day, they got to choose their favorite, which gave a sense of ownership rarely afforded these hard-working students,” said Goodman.
“Magnify’s Career Camp program is different because it is person focused. We look at their skills, abilities, and potential,” said Orsini, “then work with them to find the best match for their gifts and talents.” Through its innovative approach, Career Camp is expanding the definition of employability and raising awareness about the valuable contributions people with disabilities can make in the workforce. What’s next for Dean? He is ready for employment and is working with Magnify’s Employment Program to help him find the perfect fit!
About Career Camp
Career Camp is a program for young people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (ages 14-21). Participants learn job-readiness skills, explore different career options, and gain self-advocacy tools to help them thrive in the workplace.
About Magnify of Central Florida
Established in 2004, Magnify of Central Florida has a long history of success preparing young people and adults with disabilities to live independently in their community, develop life skills, and work toward competitive and self-employment opportunities. By opening doors of opportunity and providing a support system for success, we magnify the God-given gifts of individuals with disabilities throughout Central Florida. Together, we enable individuals with disabilities to share their unique abilities with their communities so that the fullness of each person we serve can be realized.
