The second of two foundational webinars about School to Work for families of students with disability in or about to start years 11 and 12
The School to Work project aims to inspire, increase confidence and motivate students with disability to find and keep meaningful employment with the help and support of their families.
There are four foundational webinars in this project
- Imagining Work – for families of students with disability in years 7 and 8
- Discovering Work – for families of students with disability in years 9 and 10
- Finding Work: Getting started – for families of students with disability in years 11 and 12
- Finding Work: The next steps – for families of students with disability in years 11 and 12
We hope this foundational School to Work webinar guides you to help your child/student with disability imagine, discover and find valued work roles.
Webinar Facilitators
Fiona McIntosh
Fiona joined Imagine More in November 2020 as the School to Work Coordinator. This role is part of a three-year project that aims to strengthen the capacity of young people with disability and their families to achieve valued paid employment and self-employment.
Fiona has over 25 years of experience in policy and program development in the ACT Government and local non-government sector. This experience spans housing, homelessness, child welfare and twelve years in the disability sector.
Fiona was drawn to this role with Imagine More because she wanted to continue creating employment opportunities for young people with disability. She has several years of experience in the creation of customised employment opportunities in the disability sector. She loves that she is able to contribute to an ethical, values-driven organisation that empowers families to develop skill and confidence so their sons and daughters can experience the good life.
Fiona is also a solo mum to a young daughter. In her free time, she loves connecting with nature through camping and walking, creating a small enterprise and creating surreal collages.
Jan Kruger
Jan is the Executive Director of Imagine More. She has a Bachelor’s in Community Education and training in Social Role Valorisation (SRV). Jan has been a strong advocate for people to live valued and inclusive lives for many years.
In 2013 Jan co-founded Imagine More in the ACT to strengthen family leadership and advocacy for people with a disability. She wants people with disability to hold valued social roles, develop meaningful relationships and live typical lives in their communities.
Jack, Jan’s son, has been her most valuable teacher in understanding how to support people with disability to get the good things in life by following a typical life path. She continuously works towards building an ordinary, inclusive life for her son, where he enjoys a sense of belonging as a valued member of his community. Seeking out valued social roles for a person with disability has been the most powerful lesson for Jan. She believes that relationships are at the centre of a good life. She knows that active participation and contribution are where relationships flourish.
Jan passionately believes that people with disability can
- experience a great inclusive education
- find meaningful employment
- live in a place they call home, and
- find real friendships.
Jan believes the power of sharing stories, and using a roles-based approach to ‘visioning’ for a good life, provides hope and a clear way forward to help families and the community imagine what is possible.
She regularly facilitates peer sessions and workshops to encourage individuals with a disability and their families to be authors of their own lives.
Jan loves being with family and friends and chatting over a cup of tea. She enjoys reading, gardening and running with friends in the beautiful Canberra reserves.