West County News

Derek Baker and the STEPUP Program Featured on NBC

Manchester, MO

03/02/2021 11:27 AM

Lafayette Industries, the largest full-time employer in Missouri of adults with developmental disabilities, has started a competitive employment training program called STEPUP. It is an individualized training program designed to showcase the abilities of individuals with intellectual and developmental dishabilles to gain and/or maintain competitive development. Individuals learn long-term social and job skills through an innovative curriculum created by experienced special educators in both classroom and business environments.
Lafayette has partnered with the Pioneer Baking Café (formerly McArthur’s Bakery) in Kirkwood, where 12 adults with developmental disabilities are currently working and training for competitive employment.
One of those Pioneer employees is Derek Baker, a resident of Kirkwood, who completed the STEPUP program through Lafayette. While working at Pioneer, Derek has increased his interpersonal skills, receiving feedback and completing multi-step directions independently. He loves working with the Pioneer team and interacting with the café’s customers, bringing smiles to their faces with his energetic greetings and conversations with them.
BUT THAT’S ONLY PART OF THE DEREK BAKER STORY.
Derek says he wants to be famous and some day be an announcer for WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment). And he already is famous-on social media. Through his handle, “@bakerbanter”, Derek can be followed on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, where he has more than 2 million followers.
NBC-TV heard about Derek and is doing a special segment on him this Wednesday, March 3, in the third hour of “The Today Show” during the Hoda & Jenna segment. It will run sometime between 11AM and noon. St. Louis time on KSDK-TV, Channel 5.

Reference

Dennis Dillion

314-398-3716

ddillon923@gmail.com

https://www.lafayetteindustries.com/

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