At ALL Academy, learning goes beyond the classroom. When students step into real-world settings, practice new skills, and contribute to something bigger than themselves, they build confidence and a deeper understanding of what independence means to them. Students are experiencing this thanks to a partnership with Amrita, a family-run health food company that makes plant-based, allergen-free snacks.
Since May 2024, Amrita has been partnering with ALL Academy to offer students meaningful opportunities to build job readiness skills while working in a supportive, small-batch production environment. This year, students have focused on packaging Amrita’s line of granola and protein bars—but what they’re gaining goes far beyond the task at hand.
They’re learning how to stay organized, manage their time, communicate clearly, solve problems, and show up as team players. These soft skills are essential for any workplace, and students are getting to practice them in a real-world context.
What makes partnerships like this truly powerful is the space they create for students to grow and discover their passions. Take Nicholas, a student at ALL Academy who saw an opportunity to connect his personal interests with the work at Amrita. After sharing his passion for videography and social media with Amrita’s owner, Arshad, he was invited to intern with the company to help create video content for their Instagram account. The internship has been going so well that there’s even talk of it becoming a paid position.
Being part of a transition program like the one at ALL Academy provides students with a strong foundation for growth by offering structure, encouragement, and real-world experience. For Nicholas, that meant having the support to confidently voice their interests and envision how his unique strengths could contribute to a workplace. At the same time, partners like Amrita create an environment where job responsibilities can shift as students’ interests and abilities emerge.
Bryan Sisabarro, a senior behavior therapist at ALL Academy, has seen firsthand how these real-world experiences can shift not just students’ perspectives, but families’ as well. “This is a great opportunity for them,” Bryan shared in a recent segment by News 12 Connecticut. “The families are seeing the growth from their children, and seeing that now they can have the independence to possibly drive or learn to use bus systems to get to and from jobs.”
When students reflect on their experience with Amrita, they talk about becoming more independent, learning to communicate about safety on the job, and stepping into mentorship roles when new responsibilities arise. These are the kinds of opportunities that open doors. They empower students in imagining and building their next step forward.
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If you’re a local business owner interested in making a difference, we’d love to hear from you. Contact us today to learn how you can partner with ALL Academy and support students in discovering their passion, potential and power.