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Deadline approaches for DRS Transition’s summer employment program for youth with disabilities

Thursday, March 23, 2023

OKLAHOMA CITY  — Oklahoma City, Lawton, Ada and Tahlequah are four of the 27 cities scheduled across the state for free BEST STEP summer employment for youth with disabilities.

Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services’ Transition program and OU Pre-Employment Transition Services are offering BEST STEP job readiness training and paid summer work experience on various dates in June and July.

BEST STEP is an acronym for Building Employment Skills Today and Summer Transition Employment Program.

The BEST part of the program is one week of pre-employment transition instruction.

During the STEP portion, eligible students can work up to 25 hours per week at $10 per hour for businesses in their communities. STEP salaries are primarily funded by Central Oklahoma Workforce Innovation Board with Southern Workforce Board providing funding in certain counties.

Eligible students must be DRS clients or potentially eligible to become clients with a documented disability. They must be at least 16 years old and returning to high school in August 2023.

The deadline to apply for BEST STEP Is March 31. For more information or to apply, select a link below or choose the QR code. Please email rsansom@okdrs.gov or phone 405-951-3488 or 405-212-7789 for assistance.

Ada    [June 12-16, 2023]     (click to apply)

Altus    [June 5-9, 2023]     (click to apply)

Atoka  - BEST ONLY [July 17-21, 2023]     (click to apply)

Canadian Valley    [June 19-23, 2023]      (click to apply)

Choctaw    [June 26-30, 2023]     (click to apply)

Edmond/Deer Creek/Cashion    [June 5-9, 2023]      (click to apply)

Enid    [June 19-23, 2023]     (click to apply)

Hooker - BEST ONLY   [July 17-21, 2023]     (click to apply)

Lawton    [June 12-16, 2023]     (click to apply)

McAlester    [June 26-30, 2023]     (click to apply)

Mid-Del    [June 26-30, 2023]     (click to apply)

Moore    [June 5-9, 2023]      (click to apply)

Newkirk - BEST ONLY    [July 10-14, 2023]     (click to apply)

Norman    [June 5-9, 2023]      (click to apply)

Oklahoma City    [June 5-9, 2023]      (click to apply)

Okmulgee County - BEST ONLY    [July 10-14, 2023]      (click to apply)

Owasso/Collinsville    [June 12-16, 2023]     (click to apply)

Pauls Valley    [June 26-30, 2023]     (click to apply)

Poteau    [June 26-30, 2023]     (click to apply)

Putnam City/Bethany    [June 12-16, 2023]     (click to apply)

Sapulpa - Central Tech    [June 19-23, 2023]     (click to apply)

Shawnee/Tecumseh    [June 12-16, 2023]     (click to apply)

Stillwater    [June 26-30, 2023]     (click to apply)

Stilwell    [June 5-9, 2023]      (click to apply)

Tahlequah    [June 12-16, 2023]     (click to apply)

Tulsa - North    [June 5-9, 2023]      (click to apply)

Tulsa - South    [June 12-16, 2023]     (click to apply)

DRS Transition provides career planning and employment services to prepare students with disabilities for employment, post-secondary education and life after high school. Services may include career counseling, vocational evaluation, work adjustment training, on-the-job training, work study, and job development and placement. BEST is one many programs DRS offers in partnership with other agencies, public school systems and community organizations. 

The National Center for Disability Education and Training at The University of Oklahoma Outreach provides Pre-Employment Transition Service (Pre-ETS) activities to high school students with disabilities. Pre-ETS-career focused preparation activities include job exploration, work-based learning, workplace readiness, self-advocacy and post-secondary counseling.

Transition student Aaron Soderfelt from Owasso High School explores a career in the restaurant industry during a previous BEST STEP summer camp for youth with disabilities.

For more information

Jody Harlan, DRS Communications Director

Cell: 405-203-1318 

Last Modified on Mar 23, 2023