Through Momentum® Transition, students at Garfield Park Academy learn concrete skills and develop a toolbox of strategies to help them achieve independence and prepare for a career that interests them.

Female High School student working in GPA's Culinary class, part of the school's transition curriculum.Students learn the skills and knowledge they need to be active citizens in their communities, including voter registration, workplace health and safety, worker rights and responsibilities, recreation, housing, and public transportation. Social workers work closely with students and families to provide linkages to post-secondary providers including DVRS, DDD and the Centers for Independent Living.

Evidence-based support services include:

  • Intensive individual counseling
  • Daily group counseling
  • Family counseling
  • Stress management
  • Clinical social work services
  • Neuro/biofeedback

“Our approach to transition is student-centered and emphasizes self-directed, individualized planning,”
– Jeff Dalrymple, Transition Coordinator.

For students interested in entering the military, we help prepare them for the ASVAB Test and to navigate the process of entering Military Service.

For those who considering college, staff help prepare them to take the SAT and ACT, complete college applications and financial aid forms, take Accu-placer testing, and more.

Our strong connections with community colleges allow students to learn on a college campus with all necessary supports. Research shows that students who take college courses while in high school have greater success when they graduate.

Our Work Study program on campus helps students gain the job skills they need to be successful. Students develop resumes, secure references, and interview for jobs. Working with Job Corps and Camden County Vocational School, students can be prepared for high demand careers. On campus, our own certified vocational programs are some of the most successful in the state. We offer:

  • Auto Mechanics
  • Culinary Arts
  • Cosmetology
  • Horticulture
  • Carpentry
  • Retail and Business Education

“We do more than prepare our students for jobs or higher education. We teach them the skills they need to rebound from life’s unexpected challenges,” concluded Dalrymple.