DC3C

Preparing students with disabilities for meaningful futures beyond high school.

Students with disabilities continue to face significant gaps in employment, postsecondary participation, and long-term economic opportunity after high school. Too often, students leave school without access to the experiences, connections, and supports needed to successfully transition into adulthood. DC3C is the DC Special Education Cooperative (Co-op)’s secondary transition initiative for students ages 14–22. DC3C was created to help change that reality by helping students answer the question: What’s next?

Through DC3C, students build:

Impact Highlights

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Students (aged 14–22) supported annually across Washington, DC

0 %

of DC3C students
improved workplace readiness skills

Community Partners

(businesses, colleges/universities)

0 +

Work-based learning
experiences per year

The DC3C Framework & Approach

DC3C helps students prepare for DC’s “3 Cs”:

Career

Students participate in internships, job shadows, workplace tours, mock interviews, and career exploration experiences that build workforce readiness skills and expose them to meaningful career pathways.

College +

Students explore college, postsecondary training, apprenticeships, and other pathways that support long-term success and economic mobility.

Community

Students strengthen self-advocacy, independence, and community engagement skills that support meaningful participation in life beyond high school.

The Co-op has given the students in my class an excitement to learn and has opened their eyes to the real future possibilities they have in the workforce.

We talk in class many times about career exploration, professionalism, and job skills we need, but having meetings with DC3C who gives real opportunity outside of the classroom and in classroom training, has helped the students become more serious about their own future. Having motivation and incentive to pursue their own careers brings purpose to learning which in turn creates more participation and learning from our students.

Teacher Testimonial

DC Central Kitchen is a great transition for me as I graduate high school and find new opportunities for myself.

My name is Carlos and I am currently a senior. I am in the process of looking for employment opportunities and DC Central Kitchen was a place of employment that caught my eye the most. I visited DC Central Kitchen with my class last December, and it made me realize that the atmosphere called me and I am very interested in joining this program once I graduate high school. One thing that I need to mention is that I have an IEP and will graduate with a 504 plan and this program is a great transition for me as I walk out of high school and find new opportunities for myself.

Student Testimonial

DC3C sparks interests in students that may not have existed before and shows them they have many options.

DC3C understands the importance of exposing students to a diverse cadre of professionals with wide-ranging careers. Their unique programming options sparks interests in students that may not have existed before and show them that they have many options.

Volunteer

DC3C

Through DC3C, students build:

Impact Highlights

The DC3C Framework & Approach

Career

College +

Community

The Co-op has given the students in my class an excitement to learn and has opened their eyes to the real future possibilities they have in the workforce.

DC Central Kitchen is a great transition for me as I graduate high school and find new opportunities for myself.

DC3C sparks interests in students that may not have existed before and shows them they have many options.

Our Partners

Transform Possibility Into Practice

Our Programs

All In DC

DC3C

Demonstration Classrooms

Elevate

School-Based Medicaid