Chelsea School Students Take Part in White House Disability Mentoring Day: Teens with Learning Disabilities Share Lessons and Discuss Strategies for Succeeding in the Workplace

Hyattsville, MD – Students and staff from Chelsea School visited the White House on November 13 for the 2013 Disability Mentoring Day in honor of October’s National Disability Employment Awareness Month.

The White House hosted 20 high school juniors and seniors with disabilities from five Washington-area high schools – the Chelsea School (Hyattsville, MD), Cardozo Education Campus (Washington, DC), Eleanor Roosevelt High School (Prince George’s County, MD), Falls Church High School (Fairfax County, VA) and the Model Secondary School for the Deaf (Washington, DC).

Mentors shared their personal experiences living and succeeding with disabilities and discussed their insights into varied career choices. Students also discussed “soft skills to pay the bills” for workplace success and learned about federal and state resources available to people with disabilities.

Kate Fedalen, Head of Chelsea School, summed up the day's experience: “What a powerful and positive day! The students and I truly enjoyed the celebration and joy of the entire experience. We were all so impressed with the wisdom and passion of the mentors and gained a greater appreciation of the diversity within our disability community.”

Chelsea School senior Paul Schad reflected, “It was an interesting and very educational day. I was proud to be a part of it. It’s really opened my eyes to the many career options that I can pursue despite my learning difference.”

Chelsea School serves students in grades 5 to 12 with language-based learning disabilities. Chelsea students have disability diagnoses that include dyslexia, dyscalculia, ADHD, speech and language processing disorders, and executive functioning disorders. An integral part of Chelsea School’s educational program is teaching students about their disabilities and how they can be strong self-advocates in college, the workplace, and throughout life.

The White House-sponsored event included discussions about career choices and the skills necessary to succeed in the workplace. Students had a mentoring lunch session, toured the White House, and met Tina Tchen, Chief of Staff to First Lady Michelle Obama.

Chelsea School is one of the 94 schools that are members of the Maryland Association of Nonpublic Special Education Facilities (MANSEF). These facilities, which are approved by the Maryland State Department of Education, serve more than 3,500 children and youth with a range of disabilities.

“We are proud that the Chelsea School students had the chance to take part in such a meaningful White House discussion and share their insights with their peers,” said Dorie Flynn, executive director of MANSEF. “It demonstrates the critical role that the Chelsea School – and all of our schools – play in educating our young people with disabilities and exposing them to opportunities to lead productive lives.”

For more information, contact: Kate Fedalen, Head of School: kfedalen@chelseaschool.edu, 240-467-2100.