FUTURES Foundation Partners with The Able Trust to Open New Doors for Students with Disabilities

Students in Volusia County will benefit from Futures in Focus, a statewide initiative supported by The Able Trust and administered through the Consortium of Florida Education Foundations. The Able Trust has been a trusted Consortium partner since 2023, helping local education foundations create innovative career and post-secondary exploration opportunities for students with disabilities in grades 6 to 12. In 2025-26, Futures in Focus served 743 students statewide. Of those, 59% reported increased interest in postsecondary education, and 91% of projects introduced students to high-skill, high-wage careers.

DeLand High & T. Dewitt Taylor High students and their families will visit agencies, businesses, farms, and post-secondary institutions that provide services and opportunities for individuals with disabilities. Families will be better equipped to access resources that help students prepare for, secure, and maintain meaningful employment.

A key project component will be a student-led garden. Students will design, plant, maintain, and harvest their own produce while developing workforce readiness, responsibility, leadership, teamwork, problem-solving, and independent living skills. They will learn sustainable agricultural practices, healthy food choices, and career pathways related to agriculture/food production. Additional activities will include work-based learning experiences, presentations from community agencies, career exploration opportunities.

We are thankful for The Able Trust’s continued statewide investment in students with disabilities and the local education foundations that support them. Learn more about this initiative at

educationfoundationsfl.org/blog/2025-abletrust/