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Bonnie Arnone named manager of Forty Fort Borough

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<p>NANTICOKE &#8212; Karla Porter, program director for The Arc of Luzerne County, says people with intellectual and developmental disabilities are highly underestimated. To prove her point, she&#8217;s bringing a voice to the muted subject through a new docu-series, The TRACE Show, now streaming on YouTube.</p><p>The show documents participants in TRACE (Transition to Community Employment), a work-readiness program for individuals with disabilities such as cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, and autism, Porter said.</p><p>&#8220;People with intellectual and developmental disabilities really want to step up to the plate,&#8221; Porter said. &#8220;They need to be given the opportunity to do that. When they&#8217;re given that opportunity, they really grab on to it. They just want the same life that every one else lives.&#8221;</p><p>Pamela Zotynia, executive director at The Arc, said the program started in 2012 at Luzerne County Community College, with the assistance from the Department of Human Services.</p><p>&#8220;They&#8217;re not always exposed to all of the opportunities that are actually available to them,&#8221; Zotynia said. &#8220;They don&#8217;t really think beyond food service and janitorial work. We expose them to other opportunities and make them think and open their mind up to the possibility that they can be more than they thought they could be.&#8221;</p><p>Larry Fitzpatrick, from Hazleton, said he wants to be a judge.</p><p>&#8220;A university education may not be a practical fit for Larry,&#8221; Porter said. &#8220;But Larry can work in the courthouse, working with judges. We find out what a person wants to do and we get them in that environment.&#8221;</p><p>Once Fitzgerald completes the TRACE course, he may be eligible to complete light administrative work or custodial services in a courthouse, Porter said.</p><p>Since the program&#8217;s inception, more than 30 students completed the 12-month, three-semester program, and have found jobs in dietary aid, retail and hospitality, to name a few. Porter said the curriculum educates participators to develop skills necessary to be successful while they&#8217;re working.</p><p>Dorothy Giberson, from Kingston, aspires to work at a daycare. She said she learned conflict resolution skills within the workplace. The aforementioned lesson is beneficial to students such as Giberson because individuals with cognitive disabilities have below-average ability to reason, plan, solve problems, think abstractly, and comprehend complex ideas, according to Porter.</p><p>The program focuses on skill-sets including customer service, team building, and personal finance management.</p><p>Starting in September, The Arc decided to document the TRACE experience on YouTube. Michael Supey, TRACE program supervisor, films and edits the show. He is a graduate of The School of Visual Arts in New York City.</p><p>&#8220;We want other people with disabilities to see it, to show them they have other opportunities,&#8221; Zytonia said.</p><p>For people without disabilities, Porter said The Arc hopes viewers will realize people with intellectual and developmental disabilities are their peers.</p><p>New episodes of The TRACE Show are posted every Tuesday to YouTube.com/TheArcOfLuzerneCount. </p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Karla Porter, right, works with LCCC student Angelica Aponte on the Trace show recently in the campus computer lab. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/web1_trace011.jpg</photo0><caption0>Karla Porter, right, works with LCCC student Angelica Aponte on the Trace show recently in the campus computer lab. </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/web1_trace021.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Karla Porter talks with works with LCCC student Luinis Peguero in the campus computer lab as they do work related to the Trace show. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/web1_trace021.jpg</photo1><caption1>Karla Porter talks with works with LCCC student Luinis Peguero in the campus computer lab as they do work related to the Trace show. </caption1><photoCredit1></photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/web1_trace031.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Michael Supey, Trace program supervisor, left, works with LCCC student Chris Burk in the campus computer lab on the Trace show. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/web1_trace031.jpg</photo2><caption2>Michael Supey, Trace program supervisor, left, works with LCCC student Chris Burk in the campus computer lab on the Trace show. </caption2><photoCredit2></photoCredit2></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/web1_Angelica-Aponte-11.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Michael Supey, TRACE program supervisor, left, filming student Angelica Aponte for &#8220;The TRACE Show.&#8221; </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo3>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/web1_Angelica-Aponte-11.jpg</photo3><caption3>Michael Supey, TRACE program supervisor, left, filming student Angelica Aponte for &#8220;The TRACE Show.&#8221; </caption3><photoCredit3>Submitted by The Arc of Luzerne County </photoCredit3></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>New YouTube series, &#8216;The TRACE Show,&#8217; exposes capabilities of students with intellectual disabilities</subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Justin Brown</p><p>jbrown@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Justin Brown at 570-991-6652 or at jbrown@www.timesleader.com</p></shirttailMeta></div>

The Arc of Luzerne County introduces new YouTube series starring students with intellectual disabilities