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SAVE THE DATE: October 20, 2004 2004 DISABILITY MENTORING DAY: Career Development for the 21st Century The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) is proud to present "Disability Mentoring Day: Career Development for the 21st Century," which will be commemorated on Wednesday, October 20, 2004 as the official kick-off for a year-round effort. What Is Disability Mentoring Day? Disability Mentoring Day promotes career development for students and job-seekers with disabilities through job shadowing and hands-on career exploration. With leadership, coordination and resource materials from AAPD, local communities around the country organize their own activities that bring students and employers together for informational sessions about career opportunities and one-on-one mentoring with volunteers at public and private places of employment. What Happens on Disability Mentoring Day? Disability Mentoring Day is officially commemorated on the third Wednesday of every month and implemented in locations around the country and internationally throughout the year. It is designed to benefit from local creativity, with each community planning activities to best suit the interests and abilities of its students, job-seekers and local employers. Although the core experience is one-on-one job shadowing, event planners may choose to open with a meeting for a group of students and job-seekers featuring several presentations and/or close with a reception where students, job-seekers and mentors can share their experiences. The type of mentoring experience will depend in large part on the participants' interests, education level, and work experience. Job-seekers can focus on specific career advice and discuss potential internships and job openings. How Will Students and Job-Seekers with Disabilities Benefit from Disability Mentoring Day? Disability Mentoring Day enables students and job-seekers to spend part of a day visiting a business or government agency that matches their interests and have one-on-one time with volunteer mentors. It's an opportunity to underscore the connection between school and work, evaluate personal goals, target career skills for improvement, explore possible career paths, and develop lasting mentor relationships. History of the program shows that students' and job seekers' participation in Disability Mentoring Day can result in an internship opportunity with the host employer, function as a first interview on the way to a part-time or full-time employment offer, or even an on-the-spot firm job offer. How Will Employers Benefit from Disability Mentoring Day? Disability Mentoring Day provides public and private employers with an opportunity to recruit interns, tap a pool of potential future employees, learn more about the experience of disability, develop lasting relationships with disability community leaders, demonstrate positive leadership in their communities and attract positive media attention. Additionally, employers can get involved by enabling employees to serve as volunteer mentors, functioning as a Local Coordinator for a community, and sponsoring Disability Mentoring Day at the national or local level. For more information contact: Bryan Dague 802-656-1345 [log in to unmask] DMD Web Site: http://www.dmd-aapd.org -- *************** Bryan Dague University of Vermont Center on Disability & Community Inclusion Mann Hall, 3rd Floor 208 Colchester Ave. Burlington, VT 05405-1757 Email: [log in to unmask] Phone: 802-656-1345 Fax: 802-656-1357 Website: http://www.uvm.edu/~cdci/