For hundreds of Florida students with disabilities, one field trip changed everything. A visit to a college campus or a local business wasn’t just a day out of school, it was a first glimpse at a future they could finally imagine for themselves. That’s the power of Futures in Focus, a partnership between The Able Trust and the Consortium of Florida Education Foundations.
Through nine local education foundations, this initiative connects students to hands-on learning that builds confidence, employability, and independence. Across nine counties, 610 students explored postsecondary and career pathways by visiting colleges, touring workplaces, and meeting with Florida Department of Education Vocational Rehabilitation counselors. Sixty-three percent said the experience increased their interest in pursuing education after high school.
Every project looked a little different but shared the same goal, help students see themselves as capable and career-ready. In Alachua County, students practiced leadership and communication while caring for newly hatched chicks in an agricultural readiness program. In Lake County, high-schoolers earned industry certifications and secured internships through the foundation’s partnership with district ESE and career education teams. In Martin County, students toured Florida Atlantic University and Indian River State College, meeting peers and professors who helped them picture what college life could be.
Brevard County’s “Focusing on the Future: BLASTing Toward Independence” project gave students the courage to dream bigger. Johnny, one participant, left his college visit inspired.
“I never thought I could go to college,” Johnny said. “That would be so cool. Then I can get a real job and an apartment. Life is great.”
The relationship between each local foundation and its school district proved central to that success. Working side-by-side, they coordinated transportation, secured job-site access, and aligned classroom lessons with real-world experiences. Teachers said that collaboration turned abstract ideas about “the future” into tangible plans students could act on.
Soft-skills training was another common thread, teamwork, time management, communication, and professionalism. As one Hernando County educator noted, “Most of our students can learn the technical part of a job. It’s the soft skills that help them keep it.”
Through Futures in Focus, students not only discovered new opportunities, they discovered themselves. By combining exposure to college and career options with mentoring and skill-building, this partnership between The Able Trust, the Consortium, and local education foundations is helping students with disabilities move from possibility to purpose.
