Celebrating a Successful Year of High School High Tech at EPCOT

Posted on June 30, 2026 by CIL Podcast Team

The CIL recently celebrated another successful year of High School High Tech (HSHT) with a memorable end-of-year trip to EPCOT, where students had the opportunity to celebrate their accomplishments while exploring careers in a real-world setting.

HSHT is designed to help students with disabilities prepare for life after high school by introducing them to career opportunities, developing workplace readiness skills, and building confidence through hands-on experiences. This year’s celebration perfectly reflected those goals.

Throughout the day, students enjoyed many of EPCOT’s attractions and exhibits while spending time with friends from across our HSHT counties. Beyond the fun, the experience also provided valuable opportunities to observe the many professionals who work together to operate one of the world’s most visited destinations.

Students were able to see firsthand the wide variety of careers that contribute to the guest experience, including hospitality, guest services, attraction operations, maintenance, custodial services, food service, entertainment, landscaping, transportation, and many other behind-the-scenes roles. Experiences like these help students recognize the diverse career paths available to them while encouraging them to think about where their own interests and strengths may lead.

The trip also celebrated something even more important: the hard work and growth our students demonstrated throughout the year. From participating in career exploration activities to developing workplace readiness skills and building confidence in new environments, each student made meaningful progress during their HSHT journey.

We are incredibly proud of our students for the professionalism, positive attitudes, and enthusiasm they have shown throughout the year. Their willingness to learn, support one another, and embrace new experiences is exactly what makes the High School High Tech program so impactful.

Congratulations to all of our HSHT students on another successful year! We can’t wait to see where your talents, determination, and ambitions take you next.

ID: A group of High School High Tech (HSHT) students and staff pose together in front of EPCOT's iconic Spaceship Earth during an end-of-year celebration. Students are smiling, wearing theme park lanyards and badges, with some making peace signs as they gather for the group photo. A blue text banner at the bottom reads, "HSHT students celebrated the end of the year while exploring the many careers that help bring EPCOT to life." The image highlights a day of career exploration, friendship, and celebration.
ID: Six High School High Tech (HSHT) students pose together in front of an intricate, colorful stone mural inspired by ancient Mesoamerican art at EPCOT's Mexico Pavilion. The students are smiling and making playful hand gestures while wearing theme park lanyards and badges. The image captures a moment of friendship, confidence, and exploration during the HSHT end-of-year career exploration experience, where students celebrated a successful year while learning about the many careers that support destinations like EPCOT.

About High School High Tech

High School High Tech (HSHT) is a nationally recognized transition program that helps students with disabilities explore careers, develop workplace readiness skills, and prepare for post-secondary education and employment through hands-on learning experiences, job site visits, mentoring, and career exploration.

If you would like to learn more about High School High Tech or the services offered by the Center for Independent Living of North Central Florida, we encourage you to contact our team. Together, we’re helping students build the skills, confidence, and connections they need to achieve greater independence and pursue meaningful careers.