By Kyle Roberts
Four Lincoln Parish Schools students were recognized by the Lincoln Parish School Board on Tuesday for completing the inaugural Jump Start summer program at Louisiana Delta Community College, where each earned an industry-recognized safety credential.
Kameron Mitchell, Malena McCall, Johnavaughn Slaton and Jimmy Keen all finished the pilot program with an OSHA 10 certification. Each will also receive a stipend for completing it.
“An OSHA 10 certification is more than a credential, it is a pathway to opportunity,” said Lincoln Parish School Board Superintendent John Young. “Our students are gaining valuable knowledge about workplace safety while also building confidence and skills that can serve them well as they enter the workforce.”
The program was designed for high school students with disabilities and gave them hands-on experience, exposure to technical careers and a path toward a credential they could carry out of high school. Students completed safety training and online coursework, took part in hands-on activities, visited local industries and learned about different career paths.
Much of it was unfamiliar territory. The four worked alongside college instructors and industry professionals, learned workplace safety procedures and grew more comfortable moving through a college and career setting. By the later weeks, they were completing portions of the OSHA 10 certification process with little or no assistance.
“This experience reinforced something that we want educators and even community members to remember: disability should never determine the expectations we set for a student,” said Lincoln Parish Schools Special Education Director Phaedra Blake said. “Kameron, Malena, Johnavaughn and Jimmy were given an opportunity to demonstrate what they could do, and they did exactly that. They worked, they persevered, and they earned this credential.”
Tameka Miller, a pre-employment transition services specialist, attended the program with the students and provided support throughout. Tara Turner, a special education facilitator for the district, worked with the students and their families before and during the program.
Blake said the accomplishment belonged to the students themselves.
“This is what true inclusion should look like,” Blake said. “It is more than having students present. It means providing access to the same meaningful opportunities as their peers, maintaining high expectations, providing appropriate supports, and working harder than anyone else to remove the barriers that can prevent students from fully participating.”
The district has been working to expand college, career and workforce opportunities for students with disabilities. Programs such as Jump Start let students explore their interests, build workplace skills and independence, and earn credentials that carry weight after graduation.
“Our responsibility is to prepare every student for success beyond the classroom,” Young said. “We are committed to expanding opportunities like this across Lincoln Parish Schools. Every student deserves the opportunity to discover their strengths, develop their talents, and prepare for a successful future.”
