Kennerly: Students take off via BLAST
The young man picked up a dark, bruised grape from a colander full of fruit; studied it carefully and threw it out before the grapes were thoroughly washed.
Such an unremarkable task for many of us — putting on plastic gloves and sorting fruit.
But for Michael, every moment he spends on the job is a lesson, a challenge he looks forward to tackling.
Michael is enrolled in Brevard Public Schools' BLAST (Brevard Learners Achieving Successful Transition) program, for exceptional education students ages 18 to 22. About 80 young people are enrolled at four BLAST sites, with individualized programs considering conditions from autism to cerebral palsy to Down syndrome.
BLAST, in its second year, centers on opportunities for its students as they segue into adult life, addressing four main areas: independent living; vocational and employment; personal and social; and recreation and leisure.
One of BLAST's leaders is the enthusiastic, deeply committed Jared Ostrander, who lives BLAST's "student-driven, teacher-guided" philosophy.
Three days a week, three to six students work as interns at Brevard Community Kitchen in Cocoa, where Meals on Wheels and food for Seniors at Lunch sites are prepared. They might volunteer on the food line, wash dishes, do prep or collapse boxes, said Ostrander, program supervisor and instructor at the Clearlake Educational Facility site.
"They are building work relationships, experiencing real-life work situations and job skills, and giving back to the community," said Ostrander.
"This partnership is going on its second year now and we are all looking forward to an awesome future together."
Tom Kammerdener, kitchen director, and Michael bumped fists as Michael explained how BLAST students also do laundry for the kitchen's catering service, earning a little money that might fund field trips or other ventures.
"We get as much out of it as they do," Kammerdener said. "It builds morale for my staff — they see nothing is too hard for these kids. You see how hard they work, how enthusiastic they are ... no matter what kind of day you're having, wow, it's tremendous."
Lily Kindred, who has profound hearing loss and cerebral palsy, will soon turn 23 and age out of BLAST.
The day I met her at the community kitchen, she was unpacking small pizzas. She gave me a double thumbs-up as I took a picture of her and her co-workers.
"The things we take so for granted, my daughter loves," said Lily's mother, Sharon Kindred. "Sometimes you'll hear people talking about how they have to keep doing those same things, day after day. Lily loves that. That's a job she knows she has to start and finish, and she feels really good about it."
And so does her mom, who loves seeing Lily thrive in a world that can be hard for special-needs adults. In Brevard, students might move on from BLAST to programs addressing their vocational, housing and social potential, including Promise in Brevard, Bridges and Brevard Achievement Center.
"For me, Lily has a pretty bright future," Kindred said.
Every success his students achieve, down to cleaning grapes well, is a victory for Ostrander. I think that's in no small part because he, too, struggled, dealing with his own ADHD-ADD diagnosis but moving on to earn bachelor's and master's degrees in education.
With Ostrander's help, Michael explained to me how he works at Wuesthoff Medical Center, too. His friends told me about their tasks at Goodwill and other thrift stores.
These young people look to Ostrander for guidance and respect. He gives it to them. They give it back.
What a blast to see such promise in action.
"We often look at success as material things — how much money you've made, what you've accumulated," Ostrander said.
"I don't need that kind of success. The patience and the focus it takes to succeed when you're ADHD and ADD is not very different from what some of our students face. After I earned my undergrad degree, I worked at a behavioral facility for children with special needs, and never got out of wanting to help exceptional kids. There's been a lot of progress over the last few decades, but so often, this population is forgotten about. I want to be a role model for them."
Contact Kennerly at 321-242-3692 or bkennerly@floridatoday.com. Follow her on Twitter @bybrittkennerly or at Facebook.com/bybrittkennerly.