A collaborative program between area schools is helping to prepare students with special needs for life after graduation.
The Job Olympics brought together high school students at MATC's campus in Mequon.
Rather than the sporting events associated with the summer and winter games, participants competed in competitions centered around skills they'll need to find a job.
There was a fashion show in which students were judged on whether or not they were dressed appropriately for a job interview.
Other Job Olympics events included: measuring liquids, folding clothes, telling time, patterning, counting money, and data processing.
Sue Maus, of the West Bend Public School District, said "just over 100" students participated in roughly 30 such events during this year's Job Olympics.
She said the various events allowed students to practice skills they've worked on all year - both in class and through volunteering at worksites within their communities.
"The whole part of them being nervous and out of their element is a big thing with job interviews," Maus said. "Sure, we can practice for that at school, but that's still in their comfort zone."
"Here, they're in front of strangers. That's what they're going to face in the real world," she added.
Quinn Natale, a student at Grafton High School, said he enjoyed participating in the various challenges.
"It makes me excited to get a job," he said.
