AUBURN, Maine — To help students with disabilities transition after school, hundreds of high schoolers got a chance to explore several different career paths at the Transition Maine Youth Summit in Auburn on Thursday.
Held at Central Maine Community College this year, the summit was put together with the help of a handful of students and the Maine Department of Education.
"As adults, we need to listen to the needs of our kids and they know what they want," MaineDOE Inclusive Education Specialist Titus O'Rourke, said.
Being on the spectrum himself, Transition Maine Co-chair Connor Archer said being able to offer a space for the next generation of students to explore their options is monumental.
"A lot of students with varying abilities and challenges don't necessarily have that opportunity all the time, so this is a great space for them to have," Archer explained. "We're just getting their toes just a little bit in the water."
Students were able to try out activities related to the trades, agricultural, retail, science, and tech fields.
This year's theme was centered around the importance of belonging. Several guest speakers at the summit, like Derek Schmitz said encouraging others to advocate for their needs and future goals is crucial to him.
"You know what you want and what your needs are, and so having a space like this where you're empowered to explore that is monumental," Schmitz enthused.
Organizers hope to continue the summit every year to reach even more corners of Maine.