It’s fall, a season of change. Leaves are turning vibrant colors and falling to the ground. Temperatures are dropping. Daylight hours are dwindling. Nature is slowing down, and life is speeding up.
It’s a season of change at Think College, too. Just a few weeks ago, my colleagues and I were uncertain about the future of Think College as we anxiously (and I mean VERY anxiously) awaited news about whether we would be awarded the federal grant that we’d applied for. The one we have successfully applied for 3 times before. On September 30 we got the news that we once again received the grant for the National Coordinating Center. YAHOO! That was a big day, and the start of a new season for us.
Since then we’ve seen lots of changes… our staffing changed once we got news of the grant. Our scope of work is changing, as we identified new goals for this Coordinating Center. We have new partners and advisors we look forward to working with. And, there is a new cohort of 28 college programs, newly funded TPSIDs, that we will be working closely with over the next five years. YAHOO again!
Simultaneously, there has been a lot of change and uncertainty at the federal and state level, especially for people with disabilities. We continue our work with students, families, and partners about the importance of advocacy, and we are educating people about the positive outcomes for students with intellectual disability who go to college. And even while the national landscape is unpredictable, we continue to be hopeful.
Another big change we are facing is the imminent departure of our colleague, mentor, fellow advocate, and friend, Cate Weir, as she prepares for her retirement from Think College. Cate has been an integral part of the establishment of Think College, and the field of inclusive higher education. Since before there was an NCC, Cate, Meg Grigal, and Debra Hart created a space where folks could talk and learn about students with intellectual disability going to college. They presented at conferences, provided technical assistance, met with state and federal officials, and—one of Cate’s most special gifts: they worked with families to change expectations and increase opportunities so their kids could go to college.
Back to the hopefulness: though things are going to be different in the coming year, I think they are going to be good! The NCC is fortunate to continue its work supporting new and experienced TPSID college programs to provide inclusive, supportive college opportunities for students with intellectual disability. And that’s the point, isn’t it? Year after year, we’ve seen increasing numbers of students with intellectual disability not only go to college but have a life at college. They are taking classes with their peers, they are living on campus, joining Greek Life, competing in collegiate sports, and one of the best parts: getting competitive jobs of their choosing. Students with intellectual disability are learning to live a life of their choosing and to advocate for themselves.
The NCC will also continue to disseminate information to families, teachers, vocational rehabilitation professionals, employers, and others about the benefits of inclusive higher education. We will work with state and regional alliances to support and advocate for increased support of inclusive higher education around the country, and with partner organizations and advisors to create targeted, meaningful messages to a broad audience that students with intellectual disability can and should go to college.
Change can be hard, but we’ve never shied away from hard. We are privileged to continue to build on the work done by our colleagues—Cate and Debra, Stephanie Smith Lee, Madeline Will, Denise Rozell, Liz Weintraub, and so many others. We are excited about what is to come with the new TPSIDs, the hope of increased state funding, the new IPSE Association, the growth of accreditation for inclusive higher education programs, and more.
We’ll do things a little differently and with a different team of people. The holidays will come and go, and a new year will arrive, along with new seasons. But we look forward with hope—and a fair amount of certainty—that more and more students with intellectual disability will go to college and find their way in the world and the team at Think College will be with them every step of the way. YAHOO!
About the post author: Becky Lazo is Knowledge Translation Manager for Think College National Coordinating Center. Becky manages the creation and dissemination of Think College publications, outreach, social media, newsletters, webinars, and more. She loves being a part of such a dedicated and talented team of people!