By Zack Kime ’23, co-editor-in-chief

The basement of the Bishop Library is home to thousands of books, a variety of places to study in peace and the occasional class being held in the Bi-Lab…but what else, or who else, might be down there?

Directly next to the Bi-Lab is BIS Classroom 16, where the School to Work Program and its 15 students have found a home.

The Lancaster-Lebanon Intermediate Unit 13 (IU13) applies its motto of participating in “work worth doing” through the School to Work Program. This program works with high school students in the Lancaster and Lebanon areas who are experiencing a disability of any kind and prepares them for real-world settings through a multitude of community-based and classroom-based techniques and opportunities.

“After we graduate, we have goals,” one student said. “We work, we learn and we figure out what we like to do,” another student said. 

Students described taking the information being given to them in “small bites,” and how this has increased not only the ease at which they learn what they’re being taught but also how this has made them more excited to learn and interact with one another on a regular basis.

“We’re normal, happy and fun young people to be around and we take care of each other too,” one student said.

Finding a classroom to teach in has been one of the biggest challenges for the Lancaster-Lebanon School to Work Program thus far. Following a burst pipe in its old classroom, the program was in need of a new place. This is where LVC decided to step in, providing a safe, up-to-date learning environment at its earliest convenience.

“It’s not always about the money. We enjoy helping others,” another student said.

Zeigler’s, Jubilee Ministries and other local businesses and chains have been working in conjunction with the IU13 in order to provide a wider variety of options for the students enrolled in the program.

Activities such as following current events, identifying and taking bus routes, learning first-aid techniques, serving as safety patrols, budgeting income, creating a resume and applying to jobs and so much more, all serve as ways for the students to develop real-world experience prior to entering the workforce.

The School to Work Program is always looking for chances to become more involved on LVC’s campus as well. LVC students are encouraged to reach out with prospective volunteering opportunities, potentially creating a bond that extends beyond service and makes meaningful memories for all involved.