Stratosphere tour highlights STEM training for Goodwill program participants

While staring out at what is essentially a diving platform 855 feet above concrete and imagining the plummet, it might have been a little hard to focus on the statistics, facts and science that Michael Mann, director of ride engineering for the Stratosphere, was explaining, but a group of 17 students from Goodwill’s ELITE program listened with rapt attention.

“The propeller is adjusted depending on the weight of the rider,” Mann explained. “That way, people drop at a steady rate, going from the top to the bottom in 17 seconds, regardless of their weight.”

The group had just spent around 45 minutes a couple of floors below in a conference room with a view of the Spring Mountains from the 106th floor. Mann had explained how Newtonian laws of motion and other physics were used to design the rides and keep them safe. And although the plan had been to follow that up with experiencing the rides, a 50 mph wind wasn’t allowing that. The group seemed pretty excited just for the insider’s look at the rides.

The ELITE program stands for education, leadership, independence, training and employment. It is open to those ages 17 to 24 with a documented disability who are looking for assistance achieving their goals in education, employment or both. Participants must be residents of Southern Nevada, have a documented disability, and males 18 or older have to be registered for the selective service.

“What we do is expose them to a whole lot of different opportunities through different trainings, different workshops, different hiring events and things of that nature,” said Bryan Fukuzawa, career center manager at Goodwill of Southern Nevada. “We also have an element where we expose them to different positions and different opportunities related to STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), which is what the trip to the Stratosphere was about.”

“The Stratosphere trip is definitely helping with my fear of heights,” said Sean Vanatar, who has been in the program since October and asked a number of detailed physics questions during the session on the 106th floor. “It’s been very interesting to see how it works. I like numbers and physics — mostly numbers.”

Vanatar is seeking help in both education and employment and plans to attend UNLV in the fall, majoring in education. He wants to teach high school.

“A lot of times, people hear the word ‘disability,’ and they automatically think of a physical disability or something that’s going to be an obvious barrier,” Fukuzawa said. “It can be a disability in any form. It can be something like ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder) or dyslexia.”

The majority of the program’s participants use their Individual Education Plan from high school to document their disability.

“We get referrals from a lot of different places, and if they don’t qualify for ELITE, they probably qualify for one of our other programs, which we can get them in,” Fukuzawa said. “The ELITE program is designed for one year, but if they need more time — two years or even three years — that’s perfectly fine.”

The program also helps teach participants about financial literacy and to understand what to do with their money once they start earning it.

“We try to increase their skills in literacy, numeracy and basic life skills,” Fukuzawa said. “I get to see people progress socially, as well, so that they start to gain confidence. Really, by the time they finish our program, they’re geared for college and/or employment, whatever their goals are.”

Ananea Evans was in the Stratosphere for the first time during the March 21 tour, and she was fascinated by the way the rides worked and how the staff talked about them.

She said she’s been impressed with the ELITE program.

“I signed up hoping to get a lot of education and the best job I can get,” Evans said. “They’re giving me assistance with my life and my career. The program helps me pay for school also.”

Kimberly Huff, director of the attractions and retail division for the Stratosphere, said that they hoped some of the participants would fill some of the positions they have open for tower attendees.

“Tower attendees run the elevators and the rides,” Huff said. “You have to be 18 and someone who likes to talk. I see a lot of chatty Cathies here, which I love. As an employer, I’m looking for someone who wants to come in and do more, not just be a ride attendant, but people who want to see what else is out there. We have an upward mobility program, which I don’t think gets talked about enough.”

Huff started on April 10, 1996, the day the tower opened, as an elevator and ride operator. She now runs three departments. She feels one of the most important aspects of the job is remembering that it’s a hospitality industry and focusing on the interaction among employees and guests.

Based on her interactions with the ELITE participants, she said she believes some of them might have the right stuff.

“The biggest barriers that some of our participants have is not necessarily the disability but all the things that come along with it,” Fukuzawa said. “Their whole lives, a lot of people have told them that they can’t do certain things and that they would never amount to their potential. We see their potential, and we believe in it.”

Call 702-214-2025, visit goodwill.vegas/elite or email elite@sngoodwil.org.

To reach East Valley View reporter F. Andrew Taylor, email ataylor@viewnews.com or call 702-380-4532.