Bridge to College Program To Prepare High School Students With Intellectual Developmental Disabilities

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We wanted to share this with you on behalf of one of our families associated with this amazing program for students with intellectual developmental disabilities!  Propel is a bridge to college program where students can go after high school to continue education. Check it out!

For more information, click here for flyer: propel hs one-pager2

Facebook page: Propel UMKC facebook page

Link to website: Propel UMKC Program

 

pro.pel  /prəˈpel/

v. To drive, push, or cause to move in a particular direction.

n. UMKC’s Program for Self-Determination and Employment.

Propel: UMKC’s Program for Self-Determination and Employment

 

Going to college and earning a meaningful credential can be a transformative experience for young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Over 200 colleges – public universities, private colleges/universities, and community colleges – include students with intellectual disabilities on campus. Propel:  UMKC’s Program for Self-Determination and Employment will be an academically inclusive postsecondary education program.  The Propel program strategy is to provide a stable, strong foundation for students to live their adult lives in inclusive communities with satisfying employment in a competitive work environment, residential living of their choice, and friends with and without disabilities. This strong foundation will be built through going to college: earning a certificate; developing career interests; gaining experience from work-based learning; taking classes with other UMKC students; residential living, and social/recreational opportunities.

Propel will provide a two-year credential program that includes student learning outcomes across academic, vocational, social, and independent living domains with a particular emphasis on self-determination and employment. In addition, the project will provide a Bridge to College program to prepare high school students with IDD for successful transition to post-secondary education. Through their college experience, Propel students will build capacity to set and work toward personal goals; build friendships; live independently; seek competitive employment; use technology; and navigate resources. Their families will have increased knowledge of how to support their family member with IDD through college, in finding employment, building self-determination, and supporting their community participation.

The competitive grant award comes from the U.S. Department of Education Model Comprehensive Transition and Postsecondary Programs for Students with Intellectual Disabilities (TPSID). The grant funding totals $1.8 million over five years to design and implement a model program for 20 high school students and 15 college students per year. The target population is individuals with IDD, especially students of color and students from an economically disadvantaged background in the Kansas City urban core.  The project will serve an estimated 100 students through the Bridge component and 60 students in the certificate program. Participating partners include the UMKC – Institute for Human Development (Missouri’s UCEDD), the UMKC College of Arts & Sciences, the UMKC Psychology Department, UMKC Student Affairs, EITAS (the Jackson County DD agency), Missouri Vocational Rehabilitation, school districts, and local organizations including the YMCA.

Project objectives are as follows:

1.      To develop internal partnerships within UMKC and external partnerships with local educational agencies, agencies serving individuals with IDD, and community organizations which will provide ongoing guidance and support to the program.

2.      To enhance self-determination and career outcomes through a program that focuses on the core domains of academics, employment, independent living, and socialization.

3.      To develop a person-centered plan with each program participant that creates a vision for the individual’s future and engages their family and personal support networks in working toward their goals.

4.      To provide academic and social mentoring that supports the inclusion of students with IDD within academic courses and extracurricular activities.

5.      To create a meaningful credential through a transcripted program certificate that is endorsed by UMKC and the Missouri Department of Higher Education.

6.      To conduct program evaluations and develop/disseminate products that support program improvement and implementation at both the local and national levels.

7.      To develop a financial and programmatic plan that provides for the ongoing support and sustainability of the program.

 

Students enrolled in Propel will attend UMKC for two years, full-time (12 credit hours/semester; fall and spring semesters). Students will participate in college courses with students without intellectual disabilities 60% to 70% of the time. The curriculum will include a focus on the following domains: academic learning; work-based learning and career exploration; social learning; independent living skills; and self-determination. Many students will begin in the bridge program while still in high school and then transition to the two-year program.  In addition to full-time coursework, students will also have the option of participating in other student activities such as student organizations and service-learning/community engagement.

 

For more information, contact: Derrick Willis, director of partnerships and outreach, [email protected]  or Alexis Petri, project director, [email protected]