MiConnections Resource Toolkit
Depending on the speed of your computer, some documents and web pages may take longer to open. All website links were accurate and live as of January 2008.
GENERAL INFORMATION
• Michigan Disability Resources: http://www.michigan.gov/disabilityresources
• Michigan Rehabilitation Services: www.michigan.gov/mrs
• Michigan Commission for the Blind: www.michigan.gov/mcb
• Michigan Department of Education - Special Education and Early Intervention Services: www.michigan.gov/ose-eis
• Center for Educational Networking: www.cenmi.org
• Guideposts for Success Chart
• Guideposts for Succcess
– Youth Transition Services
– Guideposts to Support Employers
– Youth in Foster Care: Negotiating the Curves Toward Employment
– Youth with Mental Health Needs: Tunnels and Cliffs -- Serving Youth with Mental Health Needs
• HSHT Program Guide: This is the program guide for the High School/High Tech program on which MiConnections is based and funded. The manual is designed around the research and practice of the Guideposts. http://www.ncwd-youth.info/resources_&_Publications/hsht_guide.html
• Supplement to the HSHT manual: This is an additional web-based resource to use with the manual. www.ncwd-youth.info/assets/hsht/supplement1_design_features.doc
• U.S. Department of Labor: Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP): http://www.dol.gov/odep/
• National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability / Youth (NCWD/Y): http://www.ncwd-youth.info/
• What is MiConnections: A PowerPoint.
• Michigan Centers for Independent Living: (from the Michigan Community Services Commission web site) http://www.michigan.gov/mcsc/0,1607,7-137-6118_22503_23185-62985--,00.html
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COMMUNITY RESOURCE MAPPING
• NCSET Information Brief on Community Resource Mapping: A strategy for promoting successful transition for youth with disabilities with Community Resource Mapping provided by the National Center on Secondary Education and Transition (NCSET)
• Texas Workforce Commission Community Resource Mapping: A guide to community resource mapping creted by the Texas Workforce Commission Youth Program Initiative.
Sample Community Resource Mapping Forms
• MiConnections Community Scan -- Individual Organization Information Sheet: Use this form to record information about each organization providing youth services.
• MiConnections Community Scan -- Youth Services Organizations: Use this form to compile and record the information from all of the organizations that were scanned using the Individual Organization Information Sheet.
• Kent County MiConnections: Quality Scan Form (Secondary Education): This is the survey form used to interview high school staff in Kent County regarding perceived quality of Guidepost-related services being provided.
• Community Resource Card: A tool created by MiConnections of Kent County to keep track of resources in their community.
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PREPARATORY EXPERIENCES
• Search for jobs on-line: Links to sites that post local jobs on-line.
• On-Line career exploration tools: Links to sites that contain career information. These sites cover topics such as: Self-assessment, career exploration, labor market information, and employment trends.
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WORK-BASED LEARNING EXPERIENCES
 Career Resources:
• Career Development Resources: Links to statewide career development resources.
• Career One Stop: This is a national career resource that links to all of the major government sponsored career information sources in the nation. Post resumes', take a skills profiler, research careers, and career assessments. http://www.careeronestop.org/
• CareerVoyages: Check out all of the on-line career videos. http://www.careervoyages.gov/
• O*NET ONLINE: National occupational information portal. http://online.onetcenter.org/
• Michigan Career Portal: Developed by the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth. http://www.michigan.gov/som/0,1607,7-192-29940---,00.html
• Job Accommodation Network (JAN): 800-JAN-PCEH: JAN is a free consulting service provided by the U.S. Dept. of Labor/Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) designed to increase the employability of people with disabilities. http://www.jan.wvu.edu/
• DiverseAbility: DiverseAbility is on a mission to increase career opportunties for people with disabilties. This includes both current and future employees. http://www.diverseability.com/index_alt.htm
Entrepreneurship:
• Road to Self-Sufficiency: A Guide to Entrepreneurship for Youth with Disabilities: This Guide promotes the benefits of entrepreneurship education and self-employment for all youth, including youth with disabilities. It provides tools for those providing services to youth with disabilities to use entrepreneurship as a means to attaining independence and self-sufficiency. It also provides guidance to those who have been providing entrepreneurship programming on how to effectively include youth with disabilities in their programs. A must read for organizations and practitioners working with all youth, policy-makers, and parents. http://www.ncwd-youth.info/resources_&_Publications/entrepreneurship_guide.html
• MiConnections Entrepreneurship Resources: Support and websites for youth entrepreneurs.
• Teen Business Link -- U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA): Ideas and resources for young entrepreneurs. http://www.sba.gov/teens
• Mind Your Own Business: A website created by the U.S. SBA and Junior Achievement where you can find the links to turn entrepreneurial dreams into reality. This site walks you through five easy steps of business ownership. http://mindyourownbiz.org/
• Hot Shot Business: Play a game that lets you take a shot at success by creating and running a business. http://spapps.go.com/hsb4/landing
• Consortium for Entrepreneurship Education: This webpage is for teachers, instructors, program developers and others who help students of all ages find their own entrepreneurship opportunities. http://www.entre-ed.org/
• 2004 Guide to Starting a Small Business in Michigan.
• Starting a Business in Michigan: Resources and links.
• Self-Employment and Mentors: Micromentor helps entrepreneurs grow their businesses through mentoring relationships with experienced business professionals. Mentors volunteer their time to meaningfully impact the lives of those new to the world of small business. http://micromentor.org
• Small Business and Self-Employment Service (SBSES): Consultants at the Small Business and Self-Employment Service (SBSES) can provide ongoing business developement supports and links to specific mentoring resources in your area. 1-800-526-7234. http://www.jan.wvu.edu/sbses/index.htm
• Service Corp of Retired Executives (SCORE): SCORE is a nonprofit organization providing public service to America by offering small business advice and training. Volunteers share their wisdom and lessons learned in business. http://www.score.org
• Michigan Apprenticeships: Check out information on "the other four year degree." http://www.aboutmasci.org/
• The Michigan TeleWork Loan Fund: Funding source for purchasing equipment to work from home. This website also includes basic information and resources about telework and telecommuting. www.michiganloanfunds.org
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YOUTH DEVELOPMENT & LEADERSHIP
• The 411 on Disability Disclosure: A workbook for youth with disabilities on disclosure of disability. Available in PDF and Word format. www.ncwd-youth.info/resources_&_Publications/411.html
• Youth Leadership/Youth Development - A Background Paper: This is a summary of the research by the national organization that gives technical support to Miconnections.
• Youth Leadership/Youth Development Assessment: This is a tool to self-assess your organization to determine the extent of youth leadership embedded in its system.
• Youth Leadership/Youth Development Bingo: An activity from the National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for youth.
• How Do You View Youth Involvement?: A tool developed by the National Youth Leadership network to get you thinking about how critical it is for MiConnections to be youth initiated and youth directed.
• The Ladder of Youth Involvement: This concept is part of the previous document and describes the stages and growth of youth involvement.
• Students as Allies in Improving Their School: A document describing the Students as Allies project.
• Connections for Community Leadership (CCL): The CCL is a leadership clearinghouse to help people with disabilities connect with leadership opportunities and become leaders in their communities. http://www.copower.org/leader/cclhome.php
• CONNECT: is a statewide network connecting college students with disabilities and their allies involved with disability organizations on their campuses to each other and the resources available to them in their communities. http://www.copower.org/leader/college.htm
• WE LEAD! Leadership Curriculum: A framework for inclusive leadership development among youth. http://www.copower.org/leader/welead2-0/index.htm
• AmeriCorps: AmeriCorps is a network of national service programs that engage more than 50,000 Americans to meet critical needs in education, public safety, health and the environment. http://www.americorps.gov/home/site_map/index.asp
• Center for Self-Determination: The Center for Self-Determination is not a place, it is a highly interactive working collaborative of individuals and organizations committed to the principals of self-determination. http://www.self-determination.com/
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CONNECTING ACTIVITIES
• Michigan Disability Resource Directory: http://mdrd.state.mi.us/
• Michigan Directory of Service Providers for Infants, Toddlers, and Students with Disabilities: http://www.cenmi.org/se_directory.asp
• Project Find Michigan: Project Find is a mandated Activities project funded by the Michigan Department of Education, Special Education and Early Intervention Services. Project Find is devoted to helping individuals, parents, and people who work with families to connect with the special educations services that may be needed. http://www.projectfindmichigan.org/
• Pine Lake Project (at Michigan career and Technical Institute): The Pine Lake Project provides short-term job training opportunities for people with disabilities. http://www.michigan.gov/mdcd/0,1607,7-122-1681_2913-12057--,00.html
Mentoring
• Creating Mentoring Opportunities for Youth with Disabilities: This contains a summery of the research on the effectiveness of mentoring on improving outcomes for youth with disabilities.
• Connecting to Success E-Mentoring Description: http://ici1.umn.edu/ementoring/default.html
• DO IT! E-Mentoring Program: DO-IT serves to increase the participation of individuals with disabilities in challenging academic programs and careers. It promotes the use of computer and networking technologies to increase independence, productivitiy, and participation in education and employment. http://www.washington.edu/doit/
• Mentoring programs registered with the National Mentroing Partnership and Mentor Michigan: www.mentoring.org
– To find local mentoring programs, enter your zip code in the space under "Find a local mentoring opportunity"
– Click "Go"
•MentorMatch: An on-line service that pairs blind or visually impaired jobseekers with people like them who are currently employed in their desired field of employment. http://www.careerconnect.org/cnib
• International Telementor Program (ITP): Facilitates electronic mentoring relationships between professional adults and students worldwide. www.telementor.org
• GEM-SET (Girls' E-Mentoring in Science, Engineering & Technology): http://www.uic.edu/orgs/gem-set/index.htm
• Mentor Michigan: Mentor Michigan, led by Governor Jennifer Granholm and First Gentlement Dan Mulhern, is working to ensure that all of our youth have ongoing relationships with stable, caring individuals. Together with mentoring programs throughout the state, Mentor Michigan is working to support and enhance mentoring programs throughout the state. http://www.michigan.gov/mentormichigan
• e-Buddies: e-Buddies is dedicated to enhancing the lives of people with intellecutal disabilties by providing opportunities for one-to-one e-mail friendships. http://www.ebuddies.org/
• MentorPlace: A structured online program connecting IBM employee volunteers with studetns and teachers. http://www.mentorplace.org/
Accommodations / Assistive Technology
• AT Xchange: You can find used assistive technology equipment for sale or free. You can also list used assistive technology equipment you'd like to sell or donate to peple who need it. The Xchange is a free service! http://www.atxchange.org/v3/
• The Michigan Assistive Technology Loan Fund: Funding source for assistive technology to enhance the quility of life / independence. http://michiganloanfunds.org/
• Open Source Assistive Technology: http://www.onlineconferencingsystems.com/at.htm
• Open Source Assistive Technology Software: http://www.oatsoft.org/
Other
• MARO Employment & Training Association: For additional commuity rehabilitation organizations in your area go to the MARO website at: www.maro.org
• Disability Network Michigan: A collaborative organization representing 15 Centers for Independent Living (CIL's) throughout the state. It facilitates collective work among its members resulting is a strong and essential statewide voice striving to meet the needs of the 1.9 million people in Michigan who have a disability. http://www.dnmichigan.org/
• Center for Educational Networking / Leading Change: Leading Change highlights the collaborative reform efforts of the Governor's Office, the State Board of Education, and the Michigan Department of education for improving academic achievement and high-quality learning. http://www.cenmi.org/leadingchange/index.asp
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TOOLS FOR DATA COLLECTING, PLANNING & ACCESSIBILITY
• Big Picture Planning Tool
• Goals to Objectives Tool
• Excel & Word Job Aids: Tips and tricks for using excel spreadsheets and merges to collect and utilize data.
• Accessibility Guide: A guide for creating accessible documents, presentations and meetings.
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