Pathways Mission Statement:
To teach communities to
embrace children with disabilities and to
collaboratively find answers that will benefit
not only children with special needs, but all
children, in their quest to become actively
involved, self-sufficient, and contributing
members of society.
Goals:
1) Empower parents of children with special
needs to become collaborative leaders who will
inspire change and promote positive outcomes not
only in their schools and communities but
throughout the state.
2) Create flexible, innovative, and
collaborative approaches to inclusion that give
children with special needs a sense of belonging
and strong foundation of community.
3) Develop public/private partnerships dedicated
to building programs and supports that begin to
prepare children with special needs at very
early ages and continuously progress them toward
the goal of being self-sufficient and employed
by age 21.
4) Provide mentor trainings, programs, and
opportunities for children that will lead them
ultimately to be understanding and responsible
adults who will advocate, educate, and/or employ
people with disabilities.
5) Build training centers in three counties in
New Jersey within three years that will network
neighboring communities, assisting them to
combine resources and provide quality affordable
programs and services for children with
disabilities and their mentors.
Values:
1) The Importance of Community and Inclusion:
It is Pathways’ philosophy that the cornerstone
of every child’s success begins and revolves
around the positive influence and involvement of
the communities in which they live. Therefore,
Pathways is devoted to helping communities gain
the knowledge and understanding to appropriately
include and embrace children with special needs
and their families, providing experiences and
opportunities for all children to grow, play,
and participate together.
2) The Concept of Excellence:
Pathways believes that the future of the
disabled will dramatically improve when the
outcomes for education move beyond legal
compliance to an accountability for maximizing
the same employment and self-sufficiency
outcomes as their non-disabled peers. The focus
of this concept applies not just to education,
but also to promoting the spirit of obtaining
outcomes of excellence and well-being in every
facet of our children’s lives.
3) Children Teaching Children:
Pathways has adopted the “children teaching
children” model as one of our biggest priorities
and most important philosophies. Children with
special needs, like all other children, need to
be with their peers. Children are more motivated
to learn from and imitate children than adults.
A key to building a more empathetic,
compassionate and accepting world for future
generations begins with the mindset of mentoring
and sensitivity we seek to instill in our
children today.
4)
Providing Intensive Early Intervention and a
Continuum of Services:
Pathways finds answers that will proactively
support children with special needs through
providing intensive early intervention and a
continuum of services tailored to accentuate
their strengths and abilities. These services
are designed to begin at age three, are for all
children, regardless of ability level, and will
continue to support and prepare them for
employment, self-sufficiency, and the
realization of their goals and dreams as they
reach adulthood.
5) Creating a Spirit of Collaboration: Pathways
actively seeks to build partnerships and to
collaboratively plan, work, and invest in more
innovative, flexible, and affordable solutions
for children with disabilities. These
initiatives are designed to produce positive and
measurable outcomes aimed at promoting the
safety, welfare, and successful future of not
just children with special needs, but all
children.
6) Family Support Services and Empowerment:
Our objective is to encourage and empower our
families to overcome the barriers of disability
and to teach people everywhere what their
children can become and do.
