Staff at Think College Inclusive Higher Education Network have been taking some exciting steps to bring inclusive postsecondary programs together in the Great Lakes region! The Great Lakes Inclusive Post-Secondary Education Alliance (GLIPSEA) held their first partner meeting in their first year of Implementation Funding from the Think College Inclusive Higher Education Network. As chair, Jessie Green convened the meeting of inclusive postsecondary education program staff members from Ohio, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Michigan to discuss the planned activities and logo of the alliance.
The core team (John Andresen, IN; Kyle Closen, OH; Eric Hartz, WI; Katie Norland, OH, marketing chair; Kate Strater, MI, communications chair) has been hard at work in strategically planning for the first year of Implementation Funding, receiving $25,000 from the Think College Inclusive Higher Education Network in order to engage in activities meant to build a network of professional development and technical assistance towards increasing opportunities for students with intellectual disability in the four states represented in the alliance. Notable activities and updates shared with the group include sharing the draft mission and vision of GLIPSEA, state representatives work to date, as well as what is coming which include a website and statewide needs assessment for IPSE professionals in the GLIPSEA states. This is a dynamic group of leaders in the field who bring their own strengths to the alliance. Plus, it’s pretty fun to hang out with like-minded peers and discuss how you can improve the world around you for the better!
Representatives from GLIPSEA will continue to engage in strategic planning this summer and at the capacity building institute, hosted by Think College at the State of the Art Conference in October 2023, in Colorado Springs. Regional alliance building has been a priority of the Think College Inclusive Higher Education Network, with three alliances in the implementation phase: Southeastern Post-Secondary Education Alliance, or SEPSEA (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee), Midwest Inclusive Post-Secondary Alliance, or MIPSA (Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota), and GLIPSEA.
Interested in learning more about regional alliance exploration and development? Let’s talk! Please email our technical assistance team at ThinkCollegeIHEN@umb.edu.