Call A Comet
Looking to get your car washed? Dog walked? Home cleaned? Call A Comet!
Call a Comet is a new company run by students at Delavan-Darien High School. Student employees provide useful services to the community to those in need.
Featured in “Teaching Today Wisconsin” Magazine
(Aug. 2015, Page 14)
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More About Call A Comet
In what may be a first-of-its-kind program in the state, Delavan-Darien High School is offering jobs and opportunities to a select group of students.
The new Call A Comet Program, which started in the 2015-16 school year, gives students with special educational needs both jobs and life experiences they may not otherwise get easily.
In addition, these jobs provide valuable services to community members, said Carri Brandt, the DDHS Special Education Department chair and Call A Comet organizer.
“There were not a lot of available paid positions out there, so we decided to make our own,” Brandt said. “This is a way to teach students job experiences in a supervised environment so they can learn to become better workers and be ready to work other jobs when they’re done with high school.”
The program focuses on giving job skills training and pay to students age 18-21. State and federal laws allow students with special needs to continue their public education until they reach age 21. Other junior and senior students with special needs can be a part of the program, too, Brandt said.
“Ultimately, the goal is to have students, when they leave Delavan-Darien High School, to have a plan, which means having a job already lined up, going into the military, or entering college,” Brandt said. “We don’t want them (the eligible 18 to 21-year-old students) leaving this program until something like that happens.”
Brandt said some grants have been obtained to provide seed money to support the program. Proceeds raised by performing services should keep it self-sustaining.
Students will receive minimum wage for the work performed, which might include car washing, dog walking, light yard work, home cleaning, linen services and possibly other duties the students are able to perform, Brandt said.
“The students who will be involved in the program are really excited about it,” Brandt said, noting that she knows of no other extensive high school work program in the state. “I’ve also had some phone calls from families in other districts asking about it. Some of those students are considering enrolling here because of it, which is very exciting.”
When the students aren’t performing paid tasks, they will be doing community service work for other experiences. It’s another way the school district gives back to the community, Brandt said.
Other work-experience programs run at DDHS for students with special needs include the selling of Balloon Bouquets, making and selling coffee in the DDHS library and staffing a snack cart that makes regular rounds at DDHS.
Contact Us
- SERVICE
- Car Washing
- Performed weekly at DDHS
- Dog Walking Services
- Home Cleaning
- Yard Maintenance
- Linen Services
- PRICING
- $10 exterior only
- $20 interior and exterior
- $15 per week
- Call for Estimate
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***Gift Cards Are Available! Give Us A Call!***
*** Gift Cards Make a Perfect Holiday Gift!***
From the Janesville Gazette Editorial Board
Thumbs up to “Call A Comet.” Delavan-Darien High School is offering gift cards this holiday season with that moniker. The cards create dual benefits.
First, they help residents in and around the school district with chores such as house cleaning, car detailing, window washing, dog walking and yard work.
Second, they help students with disabilities gain job skills, work experience and minimum wages.
Carri Brandt, special education teacher, started the program for her students, ages 18 to 21. Many businesses were willing to have the students work for free but weren’t interested in paying them. This program allows the students to be paid as district employees. An aide accompanies students to job sites.
ARC of Walworth County, which supports people with developmental disabilities, contributed $1,000 in start-up funding. Cost of services is about $10 per hour.
To order a gift card for services, call (262) 233-6619 or email callacomet@ddschools.org.