Ablr Teamship
This Summer. 3 weeks.
District C has partnered with Ablr to provide a Teamship program during 3-weeks of their summer-long Ablr Works Pre-ETS program. This is a free Teamship program that brings sighted, visually impaired, and blind students together to prepare for the future of work.
Work on a team to solve a real problem for a real business.
Stand out on your college applications and resume.
Build skills in leadership and problem solving.
Build a professional network for future jobs.
* If a visually impaired or blind student is interested in participating in the full-summer Ablr Pre-ETS program, they can contact olivia.evans@ablr360.com.
Program Details
Schedule:
August 5 to 23
Monday-Friday each week
9:00-11:00am daily
Location:
Virtual via Zoom
Eligibility:
This Teamship program is open to all high school students of all seeing abilities. Students will commit to attending all virtual meetings.
Next Steps
- Review this page, including the FAQs below, with a parent or guardian.
- If you have questions for District C, please contact us at virginia@districtc.co.
- When you’re ready, APPLY here!
Applications
Seats are limited to 32 students total. Half of the students will come from the Ablr Pre-ETS program and the remaining 16 seats will be selected from the pool of applicants.
May 15, 2024 – Applications open.
June 10, 2024 – Applications due.
June 17, 2024 – Acceptances sent.
- June 24, 2024 – RSVPs due.
How Ablr Teamship Works
1 Diversify
2 Launch
3 Solve
4 Pitch
How Ablr Teamship benefits you
Reimagined internship experience
Teamship is a reimagined internship experience that sets students apart on applications for jobs and college.
Teamship work — pushing through the positive struggle that comes with tackling a novel problem, working with a diverse set of peers to achieve a common goal, using design thinking principles to develop robust solutions, and presenting ideas and solutions to real business stakeholders — gives students a set of real-world experiences that any college or potential employer will want to hear more about.
Growth
Teamship teaches critical mindsets and tools.
Technology has changed everything. In the digital age, information is at our fingertips. Memorizing facts and figures is now less important than figuring out how to make sense of overwhelming amounts of information to solve big problems and seize big opportunities. The world needs thinkers who can break down increasingly complex problems, doers who will persevere in the face of failure and uncertainty, and collaborators who know how to bring together diverse people and ideas.
Developing and leveraging these mindsets is a lifelong journey. Practicing these mindsets leads to confidence, competence, and the ability to effect change. The Teamship experience gives students the tools to get started and keep growing.
Diversity
Teamship is an opportunity to learn from and build relationships with a diverse set of peers.
The best ideas are informed by unique perspectives, and unique perspectives start with diversity. Teams are made up of students who bring unique skill sets, different world views, and personal passions and motivations. Ablr Teamship is a unique opportunity to work with and learn from peers with different seeing abilities.
Impact
Teams work with real businesses that have real problems to solve.
Whether it’s creating a plan to help a sports retail company improve its employee training practices, working with a fitness technology company to improve a new app design, or developing a strategy to help a local startup company recruit and manage a team of national brand ambassadors, the work is real. Regardless of the problem, teams engage in real work that has real consequences and the potential to make a meaningful impact.
Future Opportunities
Teamship provides engagement opportunities beyond the summer experience.
The mindsets and tools gained through Teamship can be applied in countless ways. Students learn how to communicate their Teamship skills and experience on cover letters, college essays, resumes, and in interviews. There are also opportunities to stay connected with the District C community through public speaking engagements and other alumni opportunities.
FAQ
What is Ablr?
Ablr is a full service disability inclusion organization, and their mission is to remove barriers for all people with disabilities. They do this by eliminating the digital divide, changing the mindsets of people and organizations, and creating pathways to employment.
Is Ablr Teamship right for me?
Applications for this program are open all high school students. It is an opportunity for all students to build their teamwork, leadership, and problem solving skills. Skills developed throughout Teamship can be applied to any post-high school track, including college and other professional schools, creative endeavors, military service, entrepreneurial pursuits, and more!
How will the student teams be made?
Students are placed on an intentionally diverse teams that encourage diverse perspectives being shared throughout the program. When possible, students will have two sighted team members and two visually impaired/blind team members.
What technology do I need for the program?
Students will need internet or hotspot access to support Zoom web conferencing for all meetings. Program materials will be shared and edited via Google Suite.
Wait, this is free?
Yes! This program is free of cost to all participants.
What are some examples of business problems that student teams have worked on?
The business problems are real, meaningful, and urgent. Here are some examples of businesses and the problems they’ve brought:
- A sports retail company looking to improve its employee training practices.
- A nonprofit looking to diversify its revenue sources to build a more sustainable business model.
- A local juice bar and cafe looking to revamp its in-store traffic flow to improve customer experience.
- A 100-year-old real estate company looking to unify its company culture across six divisions.
Do student teams actually propose solutions that businesses can use?
Yes. We survey our business partners after their experience. So far, over 84% of our partners report that they plan to implement, or have already implemented, at least parts of the solutions proposed by student teams.
Do students ever get hired by District C businesses after Teamship?
Yes! We’ve had multiple Teamship students accept follow-on internship and job offers with our business partners. In fact, over 90% of our business partners report that they are more likely to consider a student for a job or internship if that student has had a Teamship experience.