Hand In Hand Options Program

Pope John Paul II Preparatory School established the Hand In Hand Options Program, a program for high school students with intellectual disabilities, in 2004. The goal of the program is to make education in a Catholic school community available to students who would not be able to pursue the college preparatory program at Pope Prep without intensive special education support.

Students in the Hand In Hand Options Program benefit from continuing their education in a Catholic community, which provides them with the resources, culture, and environment where they can grow intellectually, spiritually, and morally. The administration believes that it is a matter of justice and provides all students with an example of a living Catholic community that places the dignity of the individual and the call to human relationship at the center of the educational experience.

Each student’s curriculum is driven by their individualized goals, which provide for a mixture of instruction in general education classes, small groups and one-on-one. Upon finishing the four-year program, students enrolled in the Hand In Hand Options Program receive a certificate of completion. Students often choose to participate in vocational training or post-secondary education programs on college campuses after graduation.

For more information, contact program director Kim Shaver, kim.shaver@popeprep.org.