A resource fair helped students with extra needs find a path for success as they transition into life after graduation.

SCRANTON, Pa. — Students line the tables with handshakes and big dreams at Johnson College in Scranton, as students with special needs are getting a jump start on their futures.

“We try to avoid the educational cliff, so when they graduate, ‘Oh, there’s no services.’ So having an event like this, maybe we can get you hooked up with services so when you do exit school, you have something in place,” said Dave Genovese, Scranton School District Transition Coordinator.

Students from nearly a dozen schools across Lackawanna County met with organizations, businesses, and non-profits, learning about opportunities from college programs to jobs.

“We want to really highlight on what skills people do have and we want to capitalize on those. And then if somebody might need additional support in certain areas, we’ll work with them, of course, to get to that goal,” said Kaitlin Harrison, Human Resources Center, Director of Marketing.

For many families, it’s a chance to plan ahead like Donald Stefcik, whose grandson Aiden is on the autism spectrum and is already thinking about his future. “They’ll go into their occupation, and they find something because everyone has something they could do.”

This sense of hope comes at a critical time, with the Pennsylvania state budget well overdue, special education programs are really feeling the squeeze. 

“It’s been a struggle; it’s affecting schools like even the transportation getting here today was a struggle,” said Genovese.

The federal government shutdown is also bringing uncertainty for these non-profits, too. 

“It is a very scary time, so yeah, non-profits like mine and many of the other ones that are here today, we all want to see these programs continue as much as humanly possible,” said Harrison.

And while the future of funding is still uncertain, these groups are making sure the future for these students is bright.