BrightSteps, a new nonprofit, fills the employment gap for those with disabilities. Jenna Stroope’s experiences working with disabled students led her to identify a great need within the population and an opportunity to help by establishing a school-to-work transition services program to create a roadmap to meaningful and fulfilling lives through employment for individuals with disabilities. August welcomed the program’s first cohort. We spoke with founder Jenna Stroope about the program, its importance, goals, and more. - Destiny Mizell
THE PROGRAM: BrightSteps is a Nashville based school-towork transition program developed to prepare young adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities for the workforce. Operating as a day program following the Metro Nashville school district calendar, participants in the program go to class Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. They engage in a four-pillar curriculum: 1. Vocational Exploration & Job Readiness Skills 2. Social-Emotional Learning 3. Life Skills 4. Functional Math & Literacy. Participants also get out into the community every week participating in CBIs (community-based instruction). We visit various job sites across multiple different careers, engage in volunteer work, attend community events and attractions, and practice life skills and self-advocacy at restaurants, libraries, civic buildings, etc. Participants begin with self-exploration, learning more about themselves. What they like, what they don’t like, their strengths. Using this data, combined with personal and family goals, a roadmap to employment is created. It breaks down the steps to achieve employment and meet the goals they have set. The objective of this program is by engaging in the curriculum and CBI opportunities, participants can set employment goals and are prepared to achieve them
THE IMPORTANCE: Employment is critical for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities because it supports dignity, inclusion, and long-term well-being. It gives people a sense of purpose, pride, and identity. It combats stigma and improves overall mental health and quality of life. Unfortunately, there is a large gap of employment between people with disabilities and non-disabled individuals. Our state ranks 44th in the U.S. for employment for this population, and nation-wide, the statistics are alarming. People with disabilities want to work, should work, and deserve the opportunity to work. A program like BrightSteps helps fill the gap by creating a program that targets vocational exploration and job readiness skills. A key component of our program is community-based instruction (CBI). Students with disabilities report feeling more confident and prepared when they have hands-on work experience like job shadowing, workplace tours, and volunteer opportunities. This fosters real-world experience, vocational skills, and self-advocacy.
THE GOAL: My goal for BrightSteps is to become a known and trusted program in Tennessee that prepares individuals with disabilities for life after high school. That our participants gain the exposure, practice, and knowledge to confidently attain employment. I want participants to feel like they have gained community within our walls, that they belong here; that they are valued and capable of big things. I want to contribute to shrinking the employment gap between people with disabilities and nondisabled people.
CELEBRATE EVERYONE: Creating a more inclusive environment for people with disabilities benefits individuals with disabilities, but also the community at large. It builds a more equitable society when people with disabilities are fully included in jobs, neighborhoods, and public life, and everyone gains a deeper understanding of diversity, empathy, and human value. It strengthens the workforce by improving morale and loyalty, expanding the talent pool, and increases retention. It reduces dependency on public programs and increases economic participation. In general, inclusive communities are healthier, more compassionate, and more connected. They celebrate everyone's contribution, regardless of ability.