On a beautiful spring day, participants at SpArc Services bounced from square to square of a winding path, designed like a giant board game. At each roll of the giant dice, participants would advance and get instructions for a new movement, activity, or prompt to speak. 

This activity was designed by Sarah and Anita, two Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (MSOT) students from the Jefferson College of Rehabilitation Sciences at Thomas Jefferson University. Sarah and Anita spent their final semester in their Master’s program doing fieldwork with The Arc of Philadelphia and SpArc Services. 

The drop-off of available services after high school for students with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (IDD) can be so dramatic that it has even earned its own nickname, the “service cliff.” To help students navigate their futures after high school, The Arc of Philadelphia teamed up with the School District of Philadelphia on April 14th to present the 2021 Youth Leadership Conference.