With the start of the school year approaching later this month, the Goodwill L.I.F.E. Academy, a Lee County Charter School for students with developmental disabilities, still has a handful of student openings remaining for the 2009-2010 school year.

“We have openings for fewer than 10 students,” said Academy Principal Lynn Pottorf, who explains that time is of the essence. “If parents are interested in seeing what we have to offer, we’d like to meet with them as soon as possible.” The Goodwill L.I.F.E. Academy is a tuition-free public charter school that provides individualized programs designed to successfully transition young adults with developmental disabilities into post-school adult living. In addition to preparing its students for Special Diploma Options 1 or 2, the school focuses on life skills, functional academics, and vocational skills.

“We really try to support the whole family, and not just our students,” Pottorf said. “That’s important for a lot of parents who have students with intellectual disabilities. Our parents often tell us that they receive more one-on-one attention than they received in a more traditional school setting.”

The school also offers a formalized Vocational Training Program for qualifying students. The career-focused program starts with vocational assessments in order to determine students’ interests and aptitudes, and concludes with career exploration activities and internships which expose the students to a variety of employment opportunities.

Academy students who graduate from the school’s Vocational Training Program are guaranteed employment with Goodwill or a community partner for one year. The school will host an open house on Aug. 20 from 5 until 7 p.m.

The L.I.F.E. Academy is located at 3365-D Seminole Avenue in Fort Myers. Parents interested in learning more about the school can also contact Pottorf for a meeting to determine how the school can best meet their students’ needs. She can be reached at the school: (239) 334-4434 or via email: lynn@goodwilllifeacademy.org .