Goodwill helps special education students gain job skills

Scott Hollingworth spends an hour of his Tuesday morning time fixing each pair of pants on the hangers at the Centennial Hills Goodwill store.

He sorts through them with ease and precision, though this wasn't always the case. Last year, he could not squeeze open the hanger.

"He's come a long way since then," said Gary Arlitz, special program teaching assistant at Centennial High School, 10200 W. Centennial Parkway. "These guys couldn't work harder. They may have a long way to go, but here, they get to learn like everyone else. We teach them to be self-sufficient."

That's the goal of Goodwill of Southern Nevada's Student Work Experience Program — to provide students with real work experience and an opportunity to gain job skills.

The program, which started in 1997, provides volunteer opportunities to special education students from 29 high schools in the Clark County School District.

Students volunteer once a week at a designated store for one to two hours. Under their teachers' supervision, they wear blue vests and assist with tasks, such as pulling hangers and organizing, depending on their individual level of functionality, according to Erika Salgado, manager of career development at Goodwill of Southern Nevada.

"This type of job training makes a big impact on their life," said Kathy Topp, spokeswoman for Goodwill of Southern Nevada. "Our goal is to engage students and prepare them for the work field."

The schools are based at about a dozen stores, which account for more than 600 students. The recently opened Centennial Hills location at 6765 N. Durango Drive has three schools in attendance, including Northwest Career and Technical Academy, 8200 W. Tropical Parkway; Arbor View High School, 7500 Whispering Sands Drive, and Centennial.

Students volunteer Tuesdays through Fridays for one hour per week.

Ritzie Gratrix, special education teacher at Centennial, said she teaches her students life skills in the classroom, but it's a whole other challenge to put those skills to work outside of the classroom.

"Most kids are vocational bound, so it's important for us to prepare them with skills that will help them succeed in the real world," Gratrix said. "Putting them in a natural environment (like this one) will help them figure out what their strengths are and improve their motor skills."

Centennial has five students enrolled in the program this year from each grade level.

This year is the third year volunteering at Goodwill for Gary Meraz, 17.

He is placed near the front door for greeting duty. He seemed nervous on a recent day, but handed out fliers with a smile.

"I like this program. I like talking with people," Meraz said. "This is my first time doing greeting, but I love this work. I want to get a job during the school year."

Gratrix, who has been doing the program for nine years, said students learn how to use their hands and how to become independent instead of depending on other people.

"This is a safe environment for them to work in," Gratrix said. "They trust us, and it helps them become comfortable with their work. They do a great job."

Alex Yocum, 14, sorts through donations and organizes them in piles. It's his first year volunteering at Goodwill, and it seems he couldn't be more excited.

"It's awesome," Yocum said. "It's so cool. I want to work at Goodwill. I think it's preparing me (well)."

Opportunity Village is also using the northwest store to prepare its workers to go out into the community for employment.

They can be seen helping customers from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Mondays through Fridays.

"Their success stories may seem little to most people, but they're really big to these students," Topp said. "It teaches students that with determination and training, they can accomplish big things."

Call 702-214-2071, visit goodwill.vegas/swep or email SWEP@sngoodwill.org.

— To reach North View reporter Sandy Lopez, email slopez@viewnews.com or call 702-383-4686. Find her on Twitter: @JournalismSandy.