2021 Texas Student Transition Fair

• Registration will be open through June 1, 2021.
• The 2021 Texas Transition Fair course content will be available through June 30, 2021.

• This [course] has wonderful information!! Students who are not part of an RDSPD program and who are mainstreamed at their home campus/district are not always given this information. My son has cochlear implants and is mainstreamed. [Before this course,] I had to ask and go looking for help.
  
• Very comprehensive with lots of information!
  
• I learned a lot about educational opportunities, and I will share all the information relating to job opportunities and skill development with students and young adults.
  
• Everything was student-centered, interesting, and delivered quickly so students don't get bored.
  

• ALL D/HH high school students in Texas
• D/HH students served by an RDSPD
• D/HH students served in their home district
• D/HH students enrolled in charter schools
• D/HH students enrolled in private schools
• Parents and guardians
• Professionals working with D/HH students

Online via Canvas, a Learning Management System

This statewide, online, asynchronous event provides helpful resources and activities for students who are deaf/hard-of-hearing to explore as they make important decisions, investigate options, and prepare to maneuver life after high school.

Learning Modules:

• Featured Speaker: Emma Faye Rudkin
• Clue 1: Options After High School
• Clue 2: Texas Reality Check
• Clue 3: Preparing for Interviews
• Clue 4: Career Assessment
• Clue 5: How Texas Workforce Solutions Can Help

Resource Modules:

• Educational Opportunities During and After High School
• Community Resources
• Independent Living Resources
• Technology Resources

• To register for this online event, all participants must have an account with ESC Region 11.
• For students to be able to access the course on their personal devices, they must set up an ESC Region 11 account and register.

• Registration is reserved for students, teachers, parents, and caregivers.
• Registration is for TEXAS RESIDENTS ONLY.
• Additional information will be sent to schools, businesses, and organizations regarding participation in the Transition Fair.
• To create an account, click on the red "Create Account" button in the top, left corner of the registration page.
• Students may register on their own, participate with a registered parent, or participate as a class with a registered teacher.
• Some students may need assistance when setting up an account. Please ensure that all information in the account is correct. If the information is incorrect, the participant will not be able to access the online event.
• To access the online event, all participants will need to log in to Canvas. (Directions for logging in will be provided after registration is complete.) Logging in will require the participant's EMAIL ADDRESS + the account PASSWORD. Please make a note of the email address and password that is used to create the ESC Region 11 account.
• The 2021 Texas Student Transition Fair will open in April 2021. If you cannot access this event prior to that time, don't worry!

Title of Presentation: Turning a Disability Into an Ability

Emma Faye became profoundly deaf at the age of three, and she spends her life turning a disability into an ability. She is an internationally known role model for the Deaf (D) and Hard-of-Hearing (HH) community and the founder of the nonprofit organization, Aid the Silent, a network of support designed to help economically disadvantaged D/HH children and teens reach their full potential and live life more richly. Aid the Silent provides funds for resources, ministry, research, and education.

Emma Faye was crowned Miss San Antonio in 2015 and 2017, and she placed Top 4 in Miss Texas 2017. She was named 2018 San Antonio’s Woman of the Year by the San Antonio Business Journal (SABJ), and Governor Greg Abbott appointed Emma Faye to serve her second term on the Texas Governor’s Committee on People with Disabilities. Morgan’s Wonderland placed her on their Wall of Fame as an individual who has gone above and beyond to do great things for people with special needs. In 2020, she was selected as Oticon People’s Choice Advocacy Winner.

Emma Faye travels around the country speaking at business conventions, schools, ministries, churches, and conferences. She shares her story of redemption and informs others about the Aid the Silent programs. It is because of her ability to communicate via sign language and spoken language that she is able to unify the Deaf and hearing worlds. Emma Faye is the primary fundraiser and Executive Director of Aid the Silent and as a mission staff member for Deaf Young Life.

For a full bio go to emmafayerudkin.com.

• Shelly Bybee, ESC Region 20
• Anne Darr, ESC Region 11
• Tonya Gary, ESC Region 17
• Jyutika Mehta, ESC Region 10
• Kristin Pfeiffer, ESC Region 4
• Rachael Valenzuela-Vega, ESC Region 13