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Florida High School/High Tech State Director Wins National Award

(April 4, 2008)

The Able Trust's Donna Mundy Recognized for Outstanding Leadership to Help Improve Career Opportunities for Students with Disabilities

The Able Trust's Florida High School/High Tech State Director, Donna Mundy, was recently awarded the Division on Career Development and Transition (DCDT) Donn Brolin Award for State/Province Leadership and Services. The award was presented during the Council for Exceptional Children's National Conference in Boston on April 4th. This esteemed honor is given to an individual who has provided significant leadership and service in transition to a state.

Mundy is the State Director for the Florida High School/High Tech (HS/HT) program, a statewide program supported by The Able Trust that exposes students with disabilities to technology-based careers. HS/HT works to reduce the high school dropout rate of youth with disabilities and improve their participation in employment-related activities. Mundy was instrumental in expanding what began as a pilot project in Brevard County in 1996 with just six students. Today Florida HS/HT annually serves over 1,100 students in 37 project sites across the state. More than 100 Florida high schools are partners of Florida HS/HT, which has been shown to increase self esteem and reduce the drop out rate of students with disabilities. Florida HS/HT is recognized as a promising practice of the US Department of Labor, Office of Disability Employment Policy and thanks to Mundy's leadership, outreach and coordination, serves as a leader across the country for transition services for young adults with disabilities. Each year, nearly 95% of Florida HS/HT graduates enter post-secondary education or employment.

"Donna Mundy is a tremendous asset to The Able Trust and the students with disabilities who are served through High School/High Tech each year," said Dr. Susanne Homant, president and CEO of The Able Trust. "It's so important for young people to be given these kinds of opportunities to explore various career options. We are proud of Donna's leadership and passion for the program and happy to see her receive this well-deserved award."

The Division on Career Development and Transition (DCDT) is a national association that promotes efforts to improve the quality of and access to career/vocational and transition services for persons with disabilities. The award was named after Donn Brolin, a founding member and the first president of DCDT. Brolin was author of the Life Centered Career Education curriculum and was influential in the career development and early transition movement. Mundy was nominated for the Donn Brolin Award by representatives from Florida's Department of Education.