Seamless Transition for ARkansas

04/06/2026

Don’t miss this amazing opportunity!

🎬 𝐋𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝐓𝐎 𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐋𝐘! 🎬
Don’t miss your opportunity to join our Film Camp!

🎥 Hands‑on camera work
📝 Scriptwriting
🎤 Real interviews
💻 Editing
✨ Career exploration in the film industry

Spots are filling up fast so apply now at: tinyurl.com/2026atsfilmcamp

04/02/2026

🌟 Shooting Star Alert: Alma High School! 🌟

Alma students are putting Pathful—an interactive career exploration platform that helps students discover career pathways and build real-world skills—to work! 💡

📊 Check out these numbers:
• 729 videos watched
• 114 lessons completed
• 705 employability videos
• 65+ hours on the platform

This dedication to career exploration and skill-building is what creates real opportunities for students. We love seeing this momentum! 🔥

03/16/2026

Now is your chance to apply to Project SEARCH! Applications are being accepted through March 30th.

🚨SECOND CHANCE ALERT: Project SEARCH Arkansas Applications Now Open Again Through March 30!

If you know an individual who would benefit from this program but missed the first deadline, this is their opportunity to submit their application for the 2026-2027 program year. Project SEARCH helps young adults gain real-world job skills, build confidence, grow independence, and discover their purpose through meaningful workplace experience.

All second-round applications will be considered for remaining openings after the first-round selection process is complete, as well as alternate placements that may become available throughout the program year.

Second-round applications are open for most Project SEARCH Arkansas: ACCESS Initiative sites*, including:
📍University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (Little Rock)
📍 Arkansas Children's Hospital Project SEARCH (Little Rock)
📍 CHI St. Vincent Project SEARCH (Hot Springs)
📍Ouachita County Medical Center Project SEARCH (Camden)
📍Mercy Fort Smith Project SEARCH (Fort Smith)
📍University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Project SEARCH (Pine Bluff)
📍Arkansas Children's Northwest Project SEARCH (Springdale)

*St. Bernards Project SEARCH in Jonesboro will NOT be accepting a second round of applications for the 2026-2027 program year.

Apply Today: https://projectsearcharkansas.org/

03/12/2026

✨Great things are happening in Mena!✨

Rebecca Sprague from Mena High School recently participated in a Reverse Career Fair, connecting local employers with students and sharing information about internship opportunities through the LIFT Program. The event sparked strong interest from the community—resulting in invitations to present at both the Chamber of Commerce and Rotary Club.

Several local employers also took program information back to their leadership teams, and even park rangers from the nearby mountain expressed interest in exploring internship opportunities for students.

Community partnerships like these help create meaningful pathways for students to gain real-world experience while strengthening the local workforce.

03/09/2026

🌟 Shooting STAR Feature: Rebecca Sprague 🌟

Our very first Shooting STAR spotlight shines on Rebecca Sprague of Mena High School, whose leadership in Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) is transforming how students experience transition planning.

Through hands-on, real-world work opportunities, Rebecca has helped shift transition from instruction-only learning to meaningful, paid and volunteer work experiences that build confidence, flexibility, and independence.

The impact speaks for itself in this excerpt from the Arkansas Transition Services article featuring Rebecca:

“My STAR students are motivated and more flexible than students receiving only instruction-based transition skills. Getting paid makes them more engaged. But that motivation has even caught the students who are not getting paid but working to acquire their volunteer hours. All the ones who work now have a drive like I haven’t seen before.”

Under Rebecca’s guidance, students aren’t just completing hours — they’re developing a work ethic, pride, and future-focused drive that carries beyond the classroom.

Her dedication reflects exactly what STAR stands for:
✔ Real-world readiness
✔ Meaningful engagement
✔ Student-centered opportunity
✔ Sustainable transition success

Rebecca Sprague is a true Shooting STAR, illuminating pathways to employment and independence for Arkansas students. ✨

If you'd like to read the article in its entirety, please visit https://arkansastransition.com/index.php/2-uncategorised/330-pre-ets-in-action.

03/09/2026

Join us for a virtual Lunch & Learn March 18 at 11:30!

Parents and guardians will learn about agency services, community resources, and supports available to help students with disabilities successfully transition to life after high school.

This is a great chance to gather helpful information, ask questions, and learn about resources that can support your student’s future.

Click here to register: https://forms.gle/eKuDJ5rHtBrRTMgr7

01/22/2026

On November 11, 2025, the Mena Career Council officially launched—and what a great start it was! This kick-off event marked the beginning of meaningful collaboration focused on supporting students as they explore careers, build skills, and plan for life after high school. Thank you to everyone who showed up ready to invest in Mena’s future.

01/16/2026

When students are given meaningful opportunities to build real-world skills, powerful things happen. This story highlights Bentonville teens using AI to support nonverbal autistic individuals and improve communication around stress—showing how innovation, problem-solving, and empathy can create inclusive solutions that make a real impact.
🔗 Read more below.

In Bentonville, high school students have developed a cutting-edge device using AI and sensors to help nonverbal individuals with autism communicate.

01/14/2026

Preparing students for real-world success takes strong partnerships and intentional leadership. This CitiScapes feature highlights how the University of Arkansas College of Education & Health Professions is helping shape the future of education and workforce readiness in Arkansas.
🔗 Read the article below.

U of A Leads Multi-University Project to Develop New AI-Enhanced Technologies

12/17/2025

✨ Did You Know? Important Information for Students & Families ✨

Understanding transition services can make a big difference in helping students plan for life after high school. Here are a few important facts every family should know:
🔶 Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) are available to students with disabilities ages 14–21 at no cost.
🔶 These services help students explore careers, build workplace skills, learn about college or training programs, and practice self-advocacy.
🔶 Students with an IEP, 504 Plan, or documented disability may be eligible — even if they are not yet receiving Vocational Rehabilitation services.
🔶 Pre-ETS can be provided at school, in the community, or through local partners.
🔶 Families play a key role by supporting goal setting, encouraging exploration, and staying involved in the transition process.

If you have questions about what transition services look like in your district, please reach out to your school’s Special Education Teacher/Director or connect with Arkansas Transition Services for support and guidance.

12/03/2025

🌟 Community Spotlight: Amanda Carpenter 🌟

We’re thrilled to congratulate Amanda Carpenter — recently honored by the Advance Monticellonian as Monticello’s Hometown Hero. 💛

Amanda exemplifies dedication and heart. As an educator in the Monticello School District, she’s known for going above and beyond to support her students — not just academically, but personally. Her commitment to inclusion, compassion, and student-first values makes a real difference in young lives and throughout the community.

👉 Please take a moment to read this wonderful article highlighting her impact:
https://advancemonticellonian.com/stories/hometown-hero-amanda-carpenter,132100

Thank you, Amanda, for all you do. We’re proud to stand alongside hardworking partners like you as we work together to build brighter futures.

For Amanda Carpenter, teaching isn’t just a career — it’s a calling rooted in compassion, creativity and community. Carpenter, a 1994 graduate of Drew Central High School, grew …

11/27/2025

🦃🍂 Happy Thanksgiving from STAR! 🍂🦃

This season, we’re especially thankful for the incredible students, educators, families, and community partners who make our work possible. Together, we’re building stronger pathways for Arkansas youth with disabilities to achieve their goals, gain independence, and pursue meaningful futures.

Your dedication, collaboration, and compassion remind us that every success is a shared success. 💛

From all of us at STAR, we wish you a joyful and restful Thanksgiving!