On September 15, TJS welcomed grandparents of current students to our 2nd annual Grandparents’ Gathering. The event was conducted virtually this year, via Zoom, enabling grandparents from across the country to participate. Grandparents tuned in from six states - Colorado, Utah, Florida, New Mexico, Georgia and Michigan. Every grandparent received a bag of freshly ground coffee to enjoy at home while tuning in to the event. Dirt Coffee Bar provided these special gifts and is also a TJS vocational partner, providing paid internships in their coffee shop to numerous TJS transition students over the years.
TJS Executive Director, Ed Nichols, kicked off the program with a brief overview of the school, its educational approach, and responses to COVID-19 thus far. Lamin Cobb, Instructional Assistant in the Transition program at Englewood, then shared his story of growing up with a brother who has autism, discovering his career interest in working with children with autism, and coming to work at TJS. Given the small group size, grandparents also had a chance to chat with each other, ask questions, and swap stories about their grandchildren’s progress at TJS.