Providing work skills and social interaction experience for special education students and help to teachers, Patriot Printables and Patriot Printing are a new, appreciated addition to Homewood High School.

Created by the special education department, the programs allow students to learn skills that are helpful for potential job opportunities.

While Patriot Printables and Patriot Printing are very similar, there are some distinctions between the two. Patriot Printables is student-focused where participants create encouraging stickers and labels to give to other students. However, at Patriot Printing students receive custom orders from faculty and staff, including class materials and posters, to lighten the heavy load of printing that most teachers have. 

Special education teacher Tiffany Garvin is hopeful that Patriot Printables will be another opportunity for student interaction in addition to their other initiatives such as the Patriot Perk coffee shop on Friday mornings.

“We are able to be in the lunchroom interacting with all students from all social and academic levels,” Garvin said. “It’s really important for the students to be involved in social interaction.”

The printables are created and handed out to students in the lunchroom on Mondays during fifth period. Through this peer interaction, special education students are able to get involved and work hard in a creative way.

“A lot of our students look for work that can be unique to them and we want them to be able to maximize their unique potential,” Garvin said. 

Patriot Printing is intended to aid teachers in need of copies, papers or even posters. This new service not only benefits the faculty, but gives the students a creative way to help improve their customer service skills.

Special education teacher Kimberly Bridgewater is excited to see Patriot Printing help her students grow as people and job holders.

“Our purpose is to give kids here the opportunity to gain work and employability skills.” Bridgewater said. “We are offering this as a service to teachers to save more time but also as a service for our students to have a leg up on work and interview requirements.”

Students and teachers can place orders for any prints in the lunchroom on Mondays during B-D study. There will be a whole crew of smiling faces eager to help!