Town Hall Slides
Transition Life Skills Forum
All Voices Welcome
Independent Living & Member Choice
Community Voice
Town Hall
What Are Your Club Questions, Ideas, and Solutions?
Member Choice
Self-Advocacy
Community Living
Program Action
Overview
What Is a Town Hall?
1. Equal Voice
Every transition participant has the right to speak, share an experience, and be heard.
Your voice matters
2. Big Questions
We raise real questions about clubs, skills, daily routines, transit, and social events.
Curiosity drives change
3. Real Solutions
We don't just point out problems. We partner with peers and staff to take direct action.
Action over complaints
"Self-advocacy means knowing what you need, asking for it clearly, and helping your community grow."
Respect
Our Community Agreements
Speak for Yourself
Use "I" statements. Share your personal lived experience, your goals, and what you need to succeed.
Listen with Respect
Give full focus when a peer is sharing. Avoid interrupting, and wait your turn before responding.
Pair Concerns with Ideas
When highlighting an issue, try to offer one practical idea or next step we could test together.
Step Up & Step Back
If you speak often, invite others in. If you are quiet, remember that your peers want to hear your ideas.
Do we all agree to these ground rules today? Thumbs Up Check-In
Topics
Four Town Hall Focus Areas
Choose where to bring your voice
Area 1
Member Choice & Clubs
Creating clubs around interests: cooking, gaming, fitness, art, budgeting, and career exploration.
Area 2
Self-Advocacy & Rights
Asking for workplace accommodations, communication tools, and learning independent rights.
Area 3
Community Living Skills
Solving real-world transit navigation, grocery shopping, banking, and neighborhood access.
Area 4
Program Improvements
Upgrading daily schedules, apartment practice labs, vocational gear, and peer leadership roles.
Which area do you feel most passionate about today?
Focus 1
Member Choice: Club Questions
Q
"What new club or group would help us learn skills we actually use outside of class?"
Culinary Club
Budget meal prep, microwave cooking hacks, and safe kitchen cleanup skills.
City Navigators
Mastering bus schedules, train passes, map apps, and visiting local places.
Social & Gaming
Board game tournaments, video gaming, collaborative communication, and fun.
Discussion Prompt: What is one club you would run or join tomorrow if you had the green light?
Focus 2
Self-Advocacy in Daily Life
The 3-Part Self-Advocacy Formula:
1. The Need "I work best when I have written checklists..."
2. The Reason "...because it helps me complete tasks independently..."
3. The Request "...could we print a daily task sheet for my shift?"
At Job & Internship Sites
How do we ask a supervisor for clarification without feeling anxious?
In Independent Living
How do we express personal space, sensory needs, or chore agreements to roommates?
Speaking up for yourself is a skill that gets stronger every time you use it.
Focus 3
Community & Independent Living
Transit & Travel
What challenges do we face with bus routes, delays, reload cards, or night travel?
Prompt: What bus route needs a buddy trip?
Money & Shopping
How do we handle self-checkout, budgeting cash, comparing unit prices, or debit card safety?
Prompt: What shopping task is trickiest?
Local Recreation
Finding safe, affordable community spaces: gyms, libraries, parks, community centers.
Prompt: Where do you want to explore next?
"Our community is our classroom. What part of the city do we need to conquer next?"
Focus 4
Program Improvements
How can we make our transition program spaces and routines better for everybody?
Living Lab Spaces
Kitchen supplies, laundry stations, quiet sensory zones, or group lounge areas.
Idea: Kitchen equipment upgrades
Daily Schedules
Workshop timing, independent practice blocks, breaks, or job exploration shifts.
Idea: More time for community outings
Member Leadership
Member advisory council, peer mentoring, event planners, and welcoming new participants.
Idea: Monthly member-led meetings
Staff and leadership want your honest feedback to improve routines for everyone.
Strategy
Crafting a Powerful Question
Step 1
Identify the Topic
Be clear about what you are talking about.
"Regarding our weekend cooking workshops..."
Step 2
Explain the Why
Share why this affects you or your peers.
"...many of us want to cook on our own in apartments..."
Step 3
Ask & Propose
Ask your question and offer a starting idea.
"...can we create a member-led recipe exchange club?"
Power Tip: Clear questions make it easy for staff and peers to say YES and take action!
Next Steps
Today's Town Hall Action Plan
1
Card Prompts
In pairs or small tables, review the Question Cards and pick or write your top 2 priorities.
10 Minutes
2
Floor Open
Take the microphone or have a peer read your question. Staff and peers listen and take notes.
20 Minutes
3
Vote & Action
Post questions on the Action Board, vote on top club ideas, and form initial project teams.
15 Minutes
Ready to speak up? The floor is officially yours!
Let's Begin
Town Hall Question Cards
Transition Life Skills Discussion Cards • Sheet 1 of 2
Town Hall Discussion Cards: Clubs & Self-Advocacy
Print & Cut Along Dashed Lines
6 Prompt Cards
Member Choice Card #1
New Club Launch
"What is one hobby, life skill, or interest you wish we had a member-led club for (e.g., cooking, gaming, fitness, music)? What should members do during meetings?"
Frame: "I would love to launch a club for..."
Member Choice Card #2
Social Outings & Fun
"How can our transition community create more opportunities for weekend outings, bowling, movie nights, or coffee meetups in the neighborhood?"
Frame: "A great social outing would be..."
Self-Advocacy Card #3
Asking for Support
"When you feel overwhelmed or confused at an internship, job site, or in a workshop, what is the most helpful way for staff or supervisors to support you?"
Frame: "I do my best work when someone..."
Self-Advocacy Card #4
Workplace Accommodations
"What accommodation or tool helps you stay organized (e.g., phone alarms, visual checklists, quiet breaks)? How can we practice asking for it with confidence?"
Frame: "An accommodation that helps me is..."
Member Choice Card #5
Vocational & Career Skills
"What specific job field or work skill do you want our club or peer group to practice together (e.g., mock interviews, customer service, digital resumes)?"
Frame: "I want our group to practice..."
Self-Advocacy Card #6
Independent Choices
"What does independence mean to you right now? What is one decision you want more personal control over as you prepare for adult living?"
Frame: "Independence to me means being able to..."
Facilitator Note: Pass cards to small groups. Have each person share for 1-2 minutes using "I" statements.
Turn over for Sheet 2
Transition Life Skills Discussion Cards • Sheet 2 of 2
Town Hall Discussion Cards: Community & Action
Print & Cut Along Dashed Lines
4 Cards + 2 Wildcards
Community Living Card #7
Transit & Travel Solutions
"What is the trickiest part of using public transit (bus transfers, delays, fares, safety)? What peer travel buddy routine or training could solve it?"
Frame: "To make transit easier, our group could..."
Community Living Card #8
Grocery & Money Mastery
"When practicing grocery shopping, banking, or budgeting, what is one challenge we all experience? How could a club practice this together?"