Thank you for your interest in an opportunity that is available in the West Irondequoit school district called Together Including Every Student (T I E S)  

The purpose of the TIES program is to provide opportunities for students with developmental disabilities from third grade through the age of twenty one to participate in a wide range of community/extracurricular activities.  This is  accomplished by pairing students with developmental disabilities with a middle or high school student who has expressed an interest in acting as a support volunteer.  These volunteers attend a training program prior to working with the TIES participant to help them learn to be an effective volunteer.  This training program explains the mechanics of the program more fully and addresses the concepts of inclusion, diversity, and the language of respect.  TIES also provides training and ongoing support to the adult in charge of the activity to help ensure that everyone has a positive experience.

Providing more naturalized support to students encourages participation, independence, socialization, and accomplishments.  The chosen activities are based on the student's interest and choice.  Activities that students have previously participated in include, but are not limited to, Boy/Girl Scouts, religious education programs, sports, school-related activities, community/recreational programs, etc.  Any adult-supervised activity that a student might be interested in qualifies for the TIES program, so the sky is the limit!  In addition to personalized experiences, TIES programs throughout Monroe and the surrounding counties also sponsor activities that are open only to TIES participants.  Some of these activities include drumming circles, outrigger canoeing activities, and cooking classes.