Cape County Job Olympics event empowers students with special needs

Dozens of students and volunteers turned out Friday, Feb. 28, for the second-annual Cape Girardeau County Job Olympics at Jackson Civic Center.

The event, hosted by Jackson High School in collaboration with the University of Missouri’s Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) department, serves as an opportunity for students with special needs to show off their skills through several job-related challenges and mock interviews.

The challenges are “designed to help students with disabilities transition from high school into competitive, integrated employment settings.” Challenges included stocking shelves, hanging laundry, vacuuming and stuffing bags and envelopes. Volunteer judges rated each student's performance, and awards were given at the end.

“The goal is to connect our students with people in the community,” Pre-ETS specialist Annie Appleton said. “It allows the community to be able to see what they're capable of and (allows students) to practice job skills that will make them employable in our community.”

Meredith Adkisson, Jackson’s director of special education, said she believes the event empowers the students.

“This is literally my favorite event of the school year,” Adkisson said. “I know that we only did it once last year, and now we are doing it again, but it's just such a good way for them to feel empowered and know that they are a vital part of the community.”

Students from five schools attended Friday’s event — Jackson, Cape Central High School, Perryville High School, Oak Ridge High School and Park View State School. In between events and interviews, students could play games such as cornhole and checkers, dance and take pictures at a photo booth, among other activities.

Mizzou has a contract with the State of Missouri for Pre-ETS, which hosts Job Olympics throughout the state. Appleton said each school district in the state has an assigned Pre-ETS specialist to help the students transition from high school to adult life and gain independence. Adkisson said that she and Mizzou Pre-ETS worked all year to make the event happen.

“We’ll start planning for next year tomorrow,” Adkisson said.