Sally Golden is a special education teacher who has coordinated the Community Transition Program (CTP) in Springfield, Oregon, for the past 14 years. She facilitates, writes and implements Individualized Education Plans for young adult students with disabilities aged 18-21 in the Springfield School District, with a focus on serving students in the four main areas of transition: employment skills, independent living, community participation and postsecondary education. Social skills, self-regulation, physical and mental wellness and responsible adult citizenship are all integrated throughout the CTP curriculum.

Golden holds a Bachelor of Arts in educational studies with a minor in special education and a Master of Arts in special education, all from the University of Oregon. Prior to CTP, she taught special education at Springfield High School for six years and was a treatment team member at Jasper Mountain Center, a residential home and day treatment program for children with significant trauma histories, for two years.

Golden received the 2019 Lisl Waechter Award from the Arc of Lane County, an honor bestowed upon an “exceptional volunteer or professional who has devoted their life to enhancing the lives of individuals who experience intellectual/developmental disabilities.” This commitment can be witnessed in the way Golden prioritizes the preferences, interests, needs and strengths of all her students as well as the expertise of her staff team members and weaves these into the vibrant, dynamic fabric of the hands-on, community-based program that is CTP.