Beth Sipe is passionate about getting students with learning disabilities ready for life after high school, whether they're going off to a job or to college.

To help them move from high school into the world, she has created a college and career fair that differs from most such fairs -- this one is designed for students who have learning disabilities.

The free College and Career Fair for Students with Learning Differences is open to students from all school districts and will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. next Thursday in the cafeteria and atrium at Pine-Richland High School.

Ms. Sipe, transition coordinator for the Pine-Richland School District, came up with the idea after attending other college fairs. When she asked college representatives for information about services for students with learning disabilities, many didn't have what she was seeking.

She has set up this fair differently. The schools, businesses and agencies that attend will focus on what they have to offer students with learning disabilities. She believes it's important the students learn what's available and are part of the decision-making process for their future.

"They really need to be involved in the college experience, looking at schools and gathering information. We're encouraging the students to come so that they can speak to the representatives about their needs and how that school best fits their needs," she said.

"They need to develop their self-advocacy skills," she added. "There won't be an aide going to college with them. They are going to be responsible for approaching the professors or the disability office."

In addition to representatives from colleges and employers, lawyers and financial planners will be at the fair.

"In many instances, depending upon the severity of the disability, financial planning is crucial for our students," Ms. Sipe said. "They need to be as prepared as we can make them for life after high school, and they need to be able to be a functioning member of society."

Some of the schools sending representatives to the fair include A.W. Beattie Career Center, The Art Institute of Pittsburgh, Community College of Allegheny County, Edinboro University, Gannon University, Mercyhurst College, La Roche College, University of Pittsburgh, Triangle Tech and Beacon College in Leesburg, Fla., an accredited four-year college for students with learning disabilities and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

The employers attending include Soergel's Orchards, Marriot Hotels, St. Barnabas, Target, T-Bone's grocery and deli, UPMC Passavant, Wal-Mart, Giant Eagle and Cranberry Christian Child Care.

Community resources that will be represented include Family Links, Life's Work, Office For Vocational Rehabilitation, Goodwill Industries, Autism Society of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County Department of Health Services Mental Health/Mental Retardation and the Pine Richland Youth Center.

Ms. Sipe said it means a lot to her when her students return to visit after graduation, appreciative of what they were taught.

"There's no better feeling than when they come back and say, 'Thank you for preparing me for what college is like,' " she said. "It almost makes me want to cry. Because that's what my job is, to prepare them for the real world and give them the skills to reach it."