The Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation (EVSC) has been honored with the 2015 Education Award by the Arc Of Indiana. The Arc of Indiana’s mission is to empower individuals with disabilities to build relationships, gain independence and achieve their full potential.
The EVSC has been a community partner of the local organization, The Arc of Evansville, for nearly 50 years. The partnership began in 1957 when The Arc of Evansville partnered with Howard Roosa School, then one of the EVSC’s schools, to establish a vocational training class for boys and girls ages 16 to 21. This educational offering is believed to be the first class of its kind in the State of Indiana for students with disabilities ages 16 to 21.
Currently, the two organizations work together to provide preschool services for children ages three to five years who exhibit developmental delays or disabilities. The goal of this partnership is for children with developmental disabilities to reduce or eliminate their need for special education services upon entering kindergarten. This goal is consistently achieved. Last school year, 59 percent of the children served through the partnership with The Arc of Evansville’s Child Life Center reduced or eliminated their need for special education services.
