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Institute for Community Inclusion
Lawrence Partnership for Transition to Employment (LPTE)
Working together to support youth with disabilities in Lawrence

New on LPTE

New Data Dashboard

The 2024 LPTE data dashboard provides a current snapshot of youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities transitioning to work in Lawrence Massachusetts. It draws from multiple state data sources as well as specific initiatives of the Lawrence Partnership for Transition to Employment (LPTE).

New Video

 

"Meet the Lawrence area transition vendors!"

Description:

This video was filmed at the May 2024 Merrimack Valley Transition Fair which was hosted at Lawrence Public High School. Some vendors present at the fair briefly summarized the transition services they provide to Lawrence-area youth and their families, and how to contact them. Closed captioning and Spanish captioning are available on the video as well!

Featured vendors:

The Lawrence Partnership for Transition to Employment (LPTE) was launched in 2021. It uses a collaborative, strengths-based, community-driven approach in a traditionally underserved community to improve the transition to adult life for local youth with ID/DD.

LPTE aims to keep power in the hands of community members by following the six principles of Collaborating for Equity and Justice:

  1. Directly address and discuss race, ethnicity, and social class
  2. Share power across the community so everyone can decide what's important to work on together
  3. Build leadership and power among community members
  4. Change whole systems, not just local programs
  5. Look to research on what works
  6. Support the group members to lead the work

“Colaborar, compartir y participar es la forma en que promovemos cambios positivos.”

(“Collaborating, sharing, and participating is the way we can promote positive changes.”)

- Patsy Navarrete, LPTE Consortium Member

Are you interested in learning more or getting involved?

Contact Esther Kamau (esther.kamau@umb.edu)(857-385-9649)

Background

Lawrence, Massachusetts: Una Ciudad Latina
  • By the 2000 census, Lawrence was the first Latino majority city in New England.
  • “Latinos were responsible for reversing the city's population decline; for filling its abandoned homes and buildings; for bringing life to its streets; churches, restaurants and parks; and for anchoring its tax base. There can be no doubt that Latino migration was good for the city of Lawrence.” (Barber, 2017, p. 217)
  • Today, 81% of Lawrence residents identify as Latino/Hispanic, and 78% speak a language other than English at home (US Census, 2021).
Lawrence Public Schools
  • 93% of students are Latino/Hispanic
  • 20% of students in special education; of these students:
    • 69% had a first language other than English
    • 41% were classified as English Language Learners

(MA Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 2021; Lawrence Public Schools, 2020)

Project Goals

  • Enhance collaboration among local partners
  • Improve transition processes and experiences for youth and families
  • Better transition to work outcomes for youth with ID/DD in Lawrence

Project Timeline

  • Establish Consortium
  • Community Landscape Analysis
  • Strategic Planning
  • Plan Implementation

Objectives

1. Establish LPTE Consortium (2021)

Guiding Principles: Collaborating for Equity and Justice

The LPTE is grounded in the 6 principles of Collaborating for Equity and Justice (Wolff et al. 2016). At each Consortium meeting, we present the principles in plain language (English and Spanish) and highlight one for discussion.

The six principles are: LPTE will:
1. Directly address race, ethnicity, and social class. Talk openly about these things, starting with this meeting
2. Give equal power to community members in deciding what's important to work on. Listen to parents, students, and other people in Lawrence when deciding what to put in our strategic plan.
3. Work to build leadership and power among community members. Include parents and students as paid team members in all project work.
4. Focus on changing whole systems, not just local programs. Learn from people in Lawrence how state and national policies can be better for families.
5. Look to research on what works. Use existing tools to measure how we are doing.
6. Support the group members to lead the work. Use ICI and Arc staff to support what the consortium wants to do.

2. Conduct Community Landscape Analysis (CLA) (2022-2023)

Community Input

We held:
  • Quarterly Consortium meetings
  • Monthly Steering Committee meetings
  • 5 Community Conversations, both in person and virtual, in English and Spanish
  • 2 discussions with high school students
  • 1 meeting with a parent group
We asked:
  • What outcomes do you think are important for youth with disabilities in Lawrence when they leave school?
  • What are 1 or 2 things that would help youth with disabilities find employment when they leave school?
  • What are 1 or 2 strengths within the Lawrence community that could help youth with disabilities find employment?
  • In four years, what services, supports, and opportunities for work would you like to see for youth with disabilities in your community?

Key Findings

Important Outcomes for Youth:
  • Gaining skills
  • Jobs and careers
  • Necessary supports to meet their own life goals
  • Community and relationships
  • Confidence & independence
Strengths of the Community:
  • Inclusive, supportive culture
  • Personal strengths of youth with disabilities
  • Lots of community resources
  • Strong disability services
  • Many large & small businesses
  • Engaged parents

3. Strategic Planning

Work Groups:

  • Improve the handoff to adult services and foster better cross-agency connections
  • Connect with businesses and provide work experiences in school
  • Prepare students for employment and other aspects of adult life
  • Partner with families

4. Plan Implementation

Work Groups:

  • Led by Consortium members
  • Supported by LPTE staff
  • Kicked off at September 2023 Consortium Meeting

Next Steps for Work Groups:

  • Meet monthly
  • Review priorities and strategies from the CLA
  • Develop plans with goals, objectives, and activities
  • Implement plans
  • Collaborate and communicate with each other

References

Barber, L. (2017). Latino City: Immigration and Urban Crisis in Lawrence, Massachusetts, 1945–2000. University of North Carolina Press.

Lawrence Public Schools (2020, June 26). Lawrence Public Schools. Special Education Program Guide, 2020-2021. Retrieved at https://www.lawrence.k12.ma.us/files/users/sreardon/2021SPECIALEDUCATIONPROGRAMGUIDELPS.pdf

Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (2021). School and District Profiles. Retrieved at https://profiles.doe.mass.edu/

US Census Bureau (2021). Quick Facts, City of Lawrence Massachusetts. Retrieved at https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/lawrencecitymassachusetts/PST045219

Wolff, T., Minkler, M., Wolfe, S. M., Berkowitz, B., Bowen, L., Butterfoss, F. D., Christens, B. D., Francisco, V. T., Himmelman, A. T., & Lee, K. S. (2016). Collaborating for Equity and Justice: Moving Beyond Collective Impact. The Nonprofit Quarterly, Winter, 42–53.

Use this form or contact Esther Kamau (esther.kamau@umb.edu, 857-385-9649)