For Immediate Release:

Free Disability Transition Planning Conference is on September 21
Individuals, families, educators, and service providers are invited to attend this free event

(St. Peters, Mo., August 24, 2022) The BCI Skills Center will host a free Transition Planning Conference on Wednesday, September 21 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Embassy Suites located at Two Convention Center Blvd., St. Charles, Missouri 63303. The conference will be an empowering event for young adults with disabilities and their families as they begin the pivotal process of transitioning out of high school toward adulthood and independence. Professionals such as educators, service providers, and vocational counselors are also welcome to attend.

“I’ve heard parents and young adults with disabilities describe leaving high school as falling off a cliff, which is unfortunate,” said Skills Center Executive Director Todd Streff. “Schools help them navigate the educational system, but after graduation, resources become harder to identify and coordinate. This conference will offer direction and inspiration to individuals, families, and service providers of all kinds—with the goal of helping people with disabilities understand their talents and pinpoint resources that lead to personal fulfillment.”

Danny Combs from Denver, Colorado will give the keynote address. Combs has a master’s degree in Education and is a Board Certified Cognitive Specialist and a Certified Autism Specialist. When his son Dylan was diagnosed with autism, Combs formed Teaching the Autism Community Trades (TACT) to help other kids like his own and their families. TACT serves individuals ages 5-30 living with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) through a variety of introductory workshops and career training in the skilled trades industry. TACT’s innovative programs help prepare individuals living with ASD for employment and long-term self-sufficiency.

Attendance is free and includes lunch thanks to grants from the Saigh Foundation and LIFT.
To register, visit https://SkillsCenterTransitionConference2022.eventbrite.com.

About the Skills Center
Founded in 2019, the BCI Skills Center is a first-of-its-kind vocational training facility for people with disabilities and other barriers to employment. The Skills Center co-creates its custom programs in partnership with local, inclusive-minded businesses. Upon graduating, students join the partner businesses where they work competitively alongside non-disabled individuals while earning the same opportunities, responsibilities, benefits, and pay. Headquartered at 2026 Trade Center Dr. in St. Peters, Mo., the BCI Skills Center currently offers programs in manufacturing, hospitality, information technology, warehousing, and health care support. For more information, call (636) 875-5251 or visit
https://skillscenterstl.com/.

Above: Danny Combs, founder and CEO of Teaching the Autism Community Trades (TACT) in
Denver, Colorado, will give the keynote address at the Transition Conference on September 21 hosted
by the BCI Skills Center. Combs founded TACT in 2016 after his son Dylan was diagnosed with autism.