The Employment Dreams Perfected (EDP) project is a partnership of experienced

professional agencies including Sea of Dreams joined to promote innovative employment

opportunities for people with disabilities, TANF recipients, low-income individuals and

 other disadvantaged groups. EDP forms a comprehensive support system consisting of

 service centers and a mobile technology center (Digital Ride), capable of identifying

 individual needs and available resources, developing individualized training plans, and

 implementing services in a supportive, culturally sensitive, person-centered approach.

 Employment opportunity activities develop a person-centered employment and career

planning strategy utilizing formats to build groups with high career trajectories in business

 and technology. Project participants take part in individualized planning using their goals

 and aspirations as the foundation. As the individual identifies his/her career goals, mentors,

 skilled technicians, and educators including community resources/personnel will be

 available to support participants in achieving their goals via a host of delivery mode

s including digital distance delivery. The project will promote unsubsidized employment

 through the innovative use of technology, career coordinators, and participant

 development to construct a model program that will disseminate consulting, training

and personal growth for people in low-income and economically-distressed urban and

 rural communities. This project will position people in traditional employment, self-

employment, micro-enterprise, and nontraditional employment. EPD efforts will

self-perpetuate and provide both training and employment opportunities for sequential

 participants. Emphasis will be placed on high quality outcomes for participants as well as

 intensive tracking and documentation outcomes and process measures. Experts from

 various fields will be made available through video teleconference sessions,

 participant/expert chat rooms, desktop training videos (to include skills testing) etc., and

 all participants will be connected via mobile technology. Technical skills training will be

 individualized based in cooperation with the established delivery systems, and are

 coordinated with local and state agencies. Various support teams will be situated in areas,

 where they can organize technological entities with participants in the program. Teams will

 share/co-develop web pages, data bases, course ware, etc. Events, retreats, and

 community gatherings will bring individuals, participants and support members, together to

 increase the likelihood of success aswell as develop the social networks necessary to

 support careers. Through counselor mediated programs the job market will be explored.

 Job shadowing, on the job training and technological jobs will be explored via

 conventional and distance learning digital processes. Each individual’s budgeted time

 requirements will drive the process. Participants will be exposed to, and work in, a variety

 of existing and developing micro-enterprises, and provided the tools and support to

 create their own. GED and post-secondary education will be encouraged and supported,

 utilizing traditional along with alternative formats such as distance learning. A variety of

 self-employment training and support services are available from basic business skills to

 market research and writing business plans. Among others, science and technology

 enterprises and opportunities will be encouraged. A culture of mentoring wherein

 participants are continually being mentored, and encouraged and supported to mentor

 others will be fostered. The community will benefit from increased local employment and

 services, as the participants grow in their individual enterprises. The breadth of the project

 includes: (a) mobile computer interactions; (b) modifying, developing, and acquiring

 accessible curriculum; (c) identification and coordination of community assets; (d)

 implementation and coordination of career training and education, including cooperation

 with existing service agencies; (e) evaluation of career outcomes; and (f) application of

(considered to be one of the "best practices" in assessment and planning) are utilized to

performance, problem solving, productivity enhancement, difficulties resolution, retraining,

individual meetings with new employers both on and off the work site, plus social

• Technology Training. Project personnel provide ongoing technical support to participants

 and coordinators.

• Tutoring, Drop out Prevention

• Small Business and Self-Employment Development: A key aspect of the EDP project is

 the development of client-operated, community-based micro-enterprises as an integral

 aspect of service delivery and vocational programming.

• Client Supports and Follow-up: Each client receives continuing supports and follow-up

assessment of educational and career placement success.

• Leadership Development

• Role Modeling/Mentoring

• Teambuilding.