For many students, graduation means the end of schooling or the beginning of college or a chance to head out into the real world and find a job.

But for students with special needs, college may not be an option and finding a job right away might be a little more difficult than expected.

That’s where the Sumner School District’s Community Based Transitions Program comes in.

“Our function is to transition from high school to the real world of work,” said Grant Pennington, the teacher who runs the program with job coaches Betsie Pavilonis and Peg Stecky. “Secondary, our mission is to help the community.”

All of the students in the class are between the ages of 18 and 21 and all have graduated high school, but for those with special needs, a high school diploma may not give them everything they need to begin their adult lives.

From work ethic and time management to social skills, time management and simple things like budgeting, the class focuses on preparing its small group of special needs students for life after school.

“It’s really how to live,” Pennington said. “It’s a real opportunity for these guys.”

Based at Liberty Ridge Elementary, the transition class splits its time between classroom work and days spent out in the field, doing work around the community, such as landscaping work, word working or gardening.

The class has even landed a regular gig at the Old Soldier’s Home in Orting and last year grew more than 300 pounds of fresh vegetables for the Sumner Food Bank at the Sumner Community Garden.

Much of the work is service-based, such as helping earlier this summer to level land for the Bonney Lake Senior Center’s greenhouse or making new shutters for the Inlet Island clubhouse.

Perhaps the biggest skill the students are learning, however, is confidence and social skills, things that can be very difficult for students with disabilities such as those on the autism spectrum.

Liberty Ridge Principal Laurie Dent said the social skills and graces are the biggest thing she has noticed about the students in the program as well.

“That’s what we work on more than anything else,” she said. “The rest of it will fall into place.”

Deny also said the transitions students help keep the playground clean and put together the school’s food bank backpacks for needy students.

“It’s essentially their program,” she said. “They really do give back to the Liberty Ridge Community.”

In an interview with the class, all of the students were excited about their work and excited to discuss the work they’ve done. All were polite and engaged and loved the work they were doing in their class.

“My favorite thing was doing the fishing derby with the residents of the Old Soldier’s Home,” said Ted James, 20. “That was a lot of fun.”

Cody Kuhlman, 18, said he enjoys working at the Lake Taps Community Church.

“We cleaned the sign out front,” he said, adding that they cleaned up blackberry bushes and made the place look nicer.

Some of the students have even landed regular gigs through the program. Chris Friant, 19, works at the Orting Food Bank every Wednesday, where he helps carry food to client cars. Friant is also an artist and this year Microsoft chose his design for their Autism Speaks Walk t-shirt.

Ally Frame, 19, spends her Thursday at metro Animal Services.

“I take care of the animals and help customers,” she said proudly. “I love animals and it feel good helping other people out.”

Frame also works with the Prairie Ridge Coalition, taking over for a girl who left to go to college.

One of the class’s graduates, Chad Gore, has even gone on to a full time job with Boeing, first as an intern before he was hired outright.

Gore is an inspiration to several of the class members, who also hope to follow a path to a permanent job.

Along with the outside work, which keeps the class busy, Pennington said each student must maintain a notebook and work log. Each is also creating an employment portfolio to be presented with their resumes when opportunities arise.

So far, the program has been a success for both the students and the community, generating not only important skills, but also the self confidence they will need to apply for other jobs in the future.

“It’s awesome to see how great these kids feel when they get back from a job,” Pavilonis said.

“I think people are going to be surprised when they see the quality of work that’s done,” Pennington said. “We maintain our expectations very high. And they reach the level.

“These guys are amazing,” Pennington said.