For nearly a decade — since he took over as Superintendent of the North Arlington Public School system — Stephen Yurchak has been thinking of, preparing for and planning how to institute a program in the district for recent high school graduates, with disabilities, who are now young adults. And now, after all these years of dreaming, hoping and planning, the former field house at Veterans Middle School has been renovated and is now the new home to Viking Academy, the primary location for Noth Arlington students aged 18 to 21 with disabilities.
It’s an extraordinary new program all involved hope becomes the model for other school districts.
“The program officially opened in September 2025 and will provide opportunities for young adults to continue developing essential life skills, explore career readiness and build independence in a supportive environment,” Yurchak said. “Viking Academy is specifically designed for students who have completed their high school experience but remain eligible for special education services. The program will focus on three key areas: independent living, employability skills and community integration.
“Students will participate in structured experiences both in the classroom and within the community, preparing them for the transition to adulthood. The creation of Viking Academy reflects the district’s ongoing commitment to expanding in-district programming. By providing this service locally, the district is able to reduce reliance on costly out-of-district placements, while also keeping students connected to their home community. This expansion ensures that families and students benefit from a seamless transition program that maintains the sense of belonging and pride associated with being a Viking.”
Taking a tour
Last week, The Observer spent some time inside the new academy. We met with two key players in the operation, among many others who were present — Kevin Blackford, who is the district’s 18- to 21-year-old teacher and Dan Farinola, a longtime physical education teacher, fitness coordinator and coach.
Blackford and Farinola took us around the entire makeshift “apartment” that has been set up for the students — there are currently eight in the program. To say it was impressive would be an understatement.
First, there’s a large table upon entering, where all the students will take their meals among other things, including talking about their schedules and routines. Perhaps the most intriguing part of this is the young men and women will do all of their own cooking and shopping.
There’s also a complete kitchen, with a dishwasher they’re all responsible for loading and operating; a stove and oven where they’ll cook; a full-size fridge and freezer, where all the food the students purchase or bring in from home will be stored; and a washing machine and dryer. All students will be expected to know how to properly operate all of these appliances and take the knowledge back with them to home and beyond.
“Just the other day we had a cooking lesson. They made egg McMuffins,” Blackford says. “They learned how to cook the eggs in the pan, they used a toaster to make the English muffins. For a lot of them, it was the first time they ever cooked or were around a stove, cooking.”
They are also responsible for going to ShopRite and Costco to do their own shopping — all skills needed for when they complete the academy. When they go to ShopRite, they use NJ Transit as a way to learn how to properly use public transport.
But perhaps more important than cooking, Blackford says the kids will follow a daily routine, whether it’s getting trays, plates, using a microwave, etc.. among other things away from the kitchen.
Once the morning kitchen routines are complete, they move into the classroom portion of the academy. The students, Blackford says, are responsible for going over their daily plan and schedule independently. They go over some things others might take for granted — like knowing the day’s temperature, or counting money correctly, learning how to understand food nutrition labels.
Then, they figure out what their actual work schedule will be. At present, there is one company — a Marriot hotel — who is allowing the young men and women to work periodically, kind of like an internship. There, they perform tasks like vacuuming, cleaning up conference rooms among other tasks. But there is also a hope in time, local businesses will be willing to take the students on as paid, part-time employees.
While all of this is happening, their entire day is outlined on a giant touch board screen. They’ve visited local gyms, among other spots and will take a walking tour of Hoboken this week. It all allows the students to get out into the world, all while showing them how to travel independently.
Other days, they experience physical education with Farinola — and once that’s done, the students are all responsible for tidying up the academy premises. If there’s time at the end of the day, the students will join in a reflection about how the day was good — and not as good.
“So far it’s been like clockwork,” Blackford says. “The kids have just been fantastic this year.”
“Everything just clicked,” Farinola says.
A few additional words
Michael Burke is the the district’s director of Special Education .
“ … With the launch of Viking Academy, the district continues to strengthen its continuum of services, ensuring that every student has the opportunity to grow, thrive and succeed close to home.”
Robert Dorsett, is the NA Board of Education’s president
“The Viking Academy is a win all-around for NA Schools and the town as a whole,” Dorsett said. “It keeps our students in our community, which they deserve, it saves the taxpayer from out of district tuitions and has the potential to bring in revenue to the NA school district.”
And finally, George McDermott, a longtime member of the Board of Education.
“North Arlington has always prioritized high educational standards for all of their students by addressing the needs of every identified group,”McDermott said. “Our community — teachers, residents and administration — recognizes the importance of this program, especially for families with special needs. As a stepfather of a son with autism, I am eager to support this initiative and witness its positive impact on students that will not only benefit them now but for the rest of their lives. Let what we do today be the example and vision for others to follow.”
Find more information by visiting www.navikings.org. If you are a local business and might be interested in employing students from the program, reach out to Blackford or Farinola or you may also send an email to kc@theobserver.com and we will forward your details to the aforementioned gentlemen.
Learn more about the writer ...
Kevin A. Canessa Jr. is the editor of and broadcaster at The Observer, an organization he has served since 2006. He is responsible for the editorial content of the newspaper and website, the production of the e-Newspaper, writing several stories per week (including the weekly editorial), conducting live broadcasts on social media channels such as YouTube, Facebook, and X, including a weekly recap of the news — and much more behind the scenes. Between 2006 and 2008, he introduced the newspaper to its first-ever blog — which included podcasts, audio and video. Originally from Jersey City, Kevin lived in Kearny until 2004, lived in Port St. Lucie. Florida, for four years until February 2016 and in March of that year, he moved back to Kearny to return to The Observer full time. Click Here to send Kevin an email.