Back-to-school season isn’t limited to traditional classrooms.
Across the communities Regions serves, students with disabilities are beginning a new year of learning through specialized programs that help them build confidence, independence and skills for the future.
Through community partnerships with schools, nonprofits and workforce development organizations, Regions supports opportunities that foster personal growth, financial knowledge and career readiness, helping students thrive in the classroom and beyond.
Students with disabilities bring unique talents, perspectives and potential to our communities and workforce.
According to Schiela Peña, Disability Services and Outreach manager at Regions, students with disabilities often benefit from tailored educational, financial and career resources that help prepare them for life after graduation. By supporting organizations that remove barriers and expand access to opportunity, Regions helps create pathways for students to build confidence, independence and success in life.
“Students with disabilities bring unique talents, perspectives and potential to our communities and workforce,” Peña said. “By supporting organizations that provide the right resources and opportunities, we can help remove barriers, foster independence and empower students to achieve long-term success.”
Supporting Students in the Classroom
From specialized classrooms to hands-on workforce training programs, several Regions community partners across the footprint are creating opportunities for students with disabilities to learn, grow and prepare for the future. Through philanthropic support, volunteer engagement and community partnerships, Regions helps these organizations expand access to resources that foster independence, confidence and long-term success.
Easterseals Southwest Florida’s Easterseals Academy serves students up to age 22 with developmental, physical, learning and mild behavioral disabilities, as well as autism. The academy provides a holistic educational experience designed to help students grow academically, socially and professionally. In a small-classroom environment, students benefit from individualized instruction, enrichment activities such as music, art, yoga and dance, along with life skills development. The program also offers vocational education, job coaching and workplace training that help prepare students for a successful transition to life after graduation.
Preparing students for life after graduation requires more than academic instruction.
Dan Eveloff, Sarasota market executive and Commercial Banking leader, serves on the Easterseals Southwest Florida board and helps coordinate volunteer engagement throughout the year, strengthening the longstanding community partnership between Regions and the organization.
“Preparing students for life after graduation requires more than academic instruction,” Eveloff said. “Easterseals Southwest Florida helps young people develop the confidence, life skills and work readiness they need to pursue their goals and greater independence. We’re proud to support an organization that is creating opportunities and strengthening our community for generations to come.”
Canopy Children’s Solutions in Ridgeland, Miss., provides students with exceptional needs opportunities for academic achievement, career exploration and personal growth. The Canopy School’s Workforce Development track combines classroom instruction, soft-skill development, internships and on-the-job training. Last year, Canopy served more than 14,000 children and their families, most from low- to moderate-income households.
Regions and Canopy Children’s Solutions share a longstanding community partnership that includes financial support, sponsorships and financial education programming. According to John Howie, Jackson market president and Commercial Banking leader, the relationship reflects a shared commitment to supporting children and families and strengthening the communities they call home.
“Canopy’s impact can be seen across the communities it serves, helping children and families navigate challenges and access the support they need to thrive,” Howie said. “We’re proud to work closely with an organization that is making such a meaningful difference in the lives of so many people.”
Canopy’s impact can be seen across the communities it serves, helping children and families navigate challenges and access the support they need to thrive.
Developing Money Management Skills
Financial literacy is an essential life skill for everyone, but people with disabilities often face unique economic challenges and barriers to financial independence. That’s why access to tailored financial education plays an important role in helping students and young adults build confidence, make informed financial decisions and prepare for life beyond the classroom.
Regions is helping meet that need through Money Basics for Life, its award-winning financial wellness curriculum designed specifically for people with disabilities.
Financial Education Manager Cecilia Bailey and Financial Education Trainer Keren Treme, along with Regions Next Step Ambassadors and volunteers across the footprint, are helping students with disabilities make a solid start to the school year by equipping them with tools and resources to better understand money management, budgeting, saving and other financial fundamentals.
In the Orlando area, the team is working with Inspire of Central Florida to deliver a Money Basics for Life session on September 14. Financial education is an important part of Inspire’s programming, which provides employment opportunities and life-enrichment classes for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Programs like Project SEARCH give students the opportunity to practice skills they’ll use throughout their lives. Keren Treme, Financial Education Trainer
Bailey and Treme are also supporting a community partnership among Regions, UAB Hospital and Project SEARCH, an organization that helps young adults with disabilities transition successfully into the workforce. Through the Project SEARCH High School Transition Program, students from Birmingham City Schools gain internship experience and workplace skills that prepare them for employment after graduation.
The yearlong program emphasizes career readiness and the life skills needed for greater independence. As part of that effort, Regions financial education trainers recently completed Money Basics for Life classes for the fall semester and will soon be recruiting volunteers to conduct mock interviews with students later this year.
“Programs like Project SEARCH give students the opportunity to practice skills they’ll use throughout their lives,” Treme said. “When we combine workforce experience with financial education, we’re helping participants build both the confidence and the practical knowledge needed to succeed in the workplace and beyond.”
Preparing for Life After Graduation
For students with disabilities, the transition from school to the workforce can present unique challenges. Organizations that provide job training, career exploration and employment placement services help bridge that gap, equipping young people with the skills, experience and confidence needed to succeed after graduation.
Bosma Visionary Solutions Center, an Indianapolis-based nonprofit, provides services to help people who are blind or have low vision navigate daily life and prepare them for meaningful employment. Through financial education and volunteer engagement, Regions supports Bosma’s Youth Employment Services program, specifically the Student Training and Employment Program, which is a collaboration with the Indiana School for the Blind and Visually Impaired where students are placed in paid internships within the community.
“The Regions team has been a valued and steadfast partner of our clients at the Center for Visionary Solutions, and their long-term support has made a meaningful difference in the lives of countless Hoosiers who are blind or visually impaired,” said Brandon Wells, executive director of the Bosma Visionary Opportunities Foundation.
We are deeply grateful for Regions’ continued investment in our mission and, most importantly, in the independence and success of the people we serve. Brandon Wells, executive director of the Bosma Visionary Opportunities Foundation
“Through their generosity and commitment, Regions has helped empower individuals to build the knowledge, confidence, and skills they need to live more independently. The Regions’ Money Basics for Life program, in particular, has given our clients practical financial tools to maintain their fiscal health while successfully navigating the challenges and opportunities that come with vision loss. We are deeply grateful for Regions’ continued investment in our mission and, most importantly, in the independence and success of the people we serve.”
At the Madonna Learning Center in Memphis, participants receive independent living instruction and vocational training designed to prepare them for life beyond the classroom. The Monarch Adult Program serves individuals ages 18 and older through independent living and job readiness training, vocational internships, employment opportunities and community engagement. Participants also take part in fitness activities, art, creative movement, life-skills development and community outreach programs.
Regions and its associates, including members of the Memphis Impact Network, have supported Madonna Learning Center for several years through volunteer service and financial contributions, helping advance opportunities for participants to build independence, gain workplace experience and engage more fully in their communities.
For many students, back-to-school season is more than just returning to the classroom. It’s about taking the next step toward independence, meaningful employment and a brighter future. Through partnerships with schools, nonprofits and workforce development organizations, Regions helps students with disabilities gain the skills, confidence and support they need to succeed in the classroom, the workplace and their communities.