Hop On The Bus to Independence professional trainers and Our Place of New Trier Township workshop participants | Submitted photo
Pace Suburban Bus and JJ's List teach public transportation skills to Our Place of New Trier Township.
Young adults with intellectual and learning disabilities got a hands-on learning experience last week when a real Pace bus and a team of five professional trainers from Pace, jjslist.com and RTA arrived at their Wilmette space. The team’s mission? To teach the basics of riding Pace Suburban Bus fixed-route buses.
During the interactive workshop, called “Hop on the Bus to Independence,” learners boarded the Pace bus and learned about bus features, such as how to read the signs and what to do with the yellow cord. Then, learners stepped into an Internet classroom, where they learned the ins and outs of planning a trip using www.rtachicago.com.
“One of the greatest barriers to employment and community inclusion for people with disabilities is their ability to take public transportation,” said JJ Hanley, Director of jjslist.com and creator of the Hop on the Bus program. “Through this intensive, hands-one experience, learners build confidence and skills to ride the bus safely and successfully.
Hop On The Bus to Independence is sponsored by Pace Suburban Bus in partnership with jjslist.com. The workshops are available free to any public or private school, agency or service provider located within the six-county region served by Pace Suburban Bus (Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, and Will).
“What a great experience today,” said William Johnson, Executive Director of Our Place of New Trier Township. “I was totally impressed by the program. It has already inspired the staff to think of activities/programs that will allow our participants to practice and develop the skills they learned today.”
article from 'WILMETTE LIFE' September 06, 2013...
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