Transition to Adulthood Coalition Team
Special Events
This recreational and career discovery option is offered through an summer program or throughout the school year. The summer option is purely recreational, however, students have the opportunity to visit employer sites and build money skills. Throughout the school year, students spend their senior year in the classroom and interning at a host business in preparation for employment beyond high school.
Curriculum-Based Program
VR Summer Program
LOQW staff in Kirksville is a part of the Transition to Adulthood Coalition team. This team helps the Kirksville High School Operation Career Club and the Junior High School Job Club by teaching classes on interviewing and proper clothing to wear for work. LOQW staff recently taught a class on our summer work program. We are also working with Putnam County High School to see if they’re interested in LOQW teaching job related topics.
LOQW facilitates an Influencer Group in Monroe City. The group meets monthly to work on self-advocacy and telling their personal stories. They are currently working on creating a personal shield of important parts of their lives and making scrapbooks of their life story and experiences. This will help members share their stories in group settings and through future self-advocacy.
Youth Exploration for Success (Y.E.S.)
Work Experience Program (W.E.P.)
Transitions
Influencer Group
Kirksville launched a curriculum-based program designed for growth-minded young adults aged 18-26 in September 2025. The program is designed to help participants develop essential skills for independence and vocational success. It focuses on communication, workplace etiquette, health and fitness, workplace problem solving skills, assistive technology, workplace safety, mobility and motor skills training, and financial literacy. A key component of the program includes Pre-Vocational waiver service internships. These internships provide practical, real-world experience at businesses in the Kirksville area. The internships are designed to equip participants with valuable vocational skills, prepare them for meaningful employment opportunities, and equip them with experience as part of their resume building. Additionally, participants in the program will also have the opportunity to immerse themselves in Kirksville culture through exploratory and fun activities, thereby expanding their personal networks.
Special events are available for transition-aged youth around Northeast Missouri throughout various times of the year. The Youth Leadership Academy, for example, is a 2 to 3 day event hosted mid-summer that may focus on self-determination, money skills, or creating a pathway towards employment.
YES Transition services are integrated, community-oriented services for transition age youth and their families designed to offer a variety of experiences and opportunities to support future planning and promote smooth transition from school to work. Experiences and opportunities, both early and often, are key to helping youth and young adults plan for their future in all areas of life (daily life, social and recreational, work and career, education and training, etc.). YES Transition services offer a variety of options to support youth in getting these types of experiences and opportunities throughout their high school years so that when graduation arrives they are more prepared to enter the adult world.
These experiences and opportunities are offered through a jointly planned approach, involving broad-based community collaboration, linkages, advocacy, and natural supports. Transition planning involves early and active partnership with schools, families, businesses, and the community to create a vibrant YES program for youth and families in the area.
For the VR summer option, LOQW partners with Vocational Rehabilitation and local businesses to host a paid work experience program. Youth earn minimum wage throughout their 20-hour work week. This program is offered to Students going into their Junior and Senior years of High School.