The Clarke County School District’s Department of Exceptional Programs, which includes the Office of Special Education, will host its annual Transition Fair on Thursday, March 19, an event designed to connect students served by the district’s adapted curriculum and their families with available community resources and help them develop a plan for postsecondary success. 

The main event will be held from 9:30 a.m. to noon in the Vernon Payne Meeting Hall at the District Office, 595 Prince Ave., Athens, and will include more than 30 vendors who will be sharing information about access programs, employment opportunities and assistance, financial support, trusts planning, guardianship, social opportunities, and more. 

A separate, free lunch-and-learn session on specialized topics, also at the District Office, will be held on the same day from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. 

• Presenters from the Georgia Advocacy Office (GAO) will discuss how families can promote strong decision-making skills for students as well as what to know about guardianship and its alternatives. 

• Representatives from the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD) will outline the process for applying for NOW/COMP waivers, which provide money to be used to pay for services for eligible Georgians with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities who require an intermediate care facility.

• Representatives from the Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency (GVRA) will close out the session with an overview of the support and services the agency offers to families. 

While the lunch-and-learn session is free, those planning to attend should register at bit.ly/CCSDlunchandlearn. 

Families with questions about the Transition Fair and lunch-and-learn session should contact Liza Burnsed, CCSD Transition Specialist, at [email protected] or 706-546-7721, Ext. 79566.

Click here for more information about CCSD transition resources.