Pathways Program At McHenry County College Receives Award For Special Education Program

The Pathways Program, a partnership between McHenry County College (MCC) and the Special Education District of McHenry County (SEDOM), was recently awarded an Exemplary Program Award from the Illinois Council for Continuing Education and Training (ICCET). The Pathways Program is a transition educational program for students with disabilities.
This prestigious award usually is given to up to three Illinois community college winners, but this year the MCC/SEDOM partnership program was the sole recipient for the entire state of Illinois. The Pathways Program has now been nominated for the National Council for Continuing Education and Training’s (NCCET) Exemplary Program Award, which will be announced at the National Conference in October.
“The Pathways Program is a remarkable program in many aspects,” said Dori Smith, director of Continuing Education at MCC. “It responds to the numerous secondary and post-secondary education students in need of a specialized program that provides academic and vocational education, plus career exploration. Pathways also capitalizes on partnerships with different community agencies to uniformly address the same need. Working for a common goal is always a win-win situation for everyone.”
Christine Galante, of Marengo, graduated from the Pathways Program on May 19, along with five other students. She graduated from Marengo High School in 2008 and joined the Pathways Program in conjunction with taking math and English classes at MCC. Galante, who loves riding horses at Main Stay Therapeutic Riding in Richmond, will volunteer for the fifth summer in a row as a junior camp counselor at Walcamp Outdoor Ministries, a Christian camp in Kingston.
The important life skills that she has acquired in the last two years has boosted her self-confidence so much so that she plans to work toward an associate degree at MCC. She plans to continue her education at a four-year university to earn a bachelor’s degree and become a social worker or special education teacher.
“Pathways has helped me by learning to do new things and helping me become more independent,” Galante said, after graduating/receiving her Pathways Certificate.