The Think College Network has been working hard supporting state level work across the country. State coalition building has been an important piece of the work Think College has done since the Center's inception. State alliances consist of a group of people and/or organizations in a particular state who work together toward a common goal in support of higher education for students with intellectual disability At a minimum, an alliance can be a group of representatives from college programs. They can also include representatives from key state agencies, organizations, parents, alumni, and students.
Think College provides technical assistance in the forms of strategic planning and coaching to state alliance leaders or those wishing to start building a coalition within their state. Team members are also available to make presentations and provide any other support to states wishing to strengthen their work together.
We have had a busy Spring! In March, Susanna Miller-Raines traveled to August, ME to lead strategic planning efforts for the new Maine IPSE alliance. In April, Susanna and Cate Weir attended and presented to representatives from 15 North Carolina community colleges receiving funds to start inclusive programs for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Cate presented on what academic inclusion in higher education looks like. Cate also presented the next day at the NC Postsecondary Education Alliance Summit. This summer, Susanna will be traveling to Santa Fe, NM to meet with partners in New Mexico who are trying to align their efforts around IPSE.
Reach out to thinkcollegeta@umb.edu if you would like support for your state work. For more resources and information on how Think College can support state level work visit our state alliances webpage. For more information on what is going on in your state, you can visit our What’s Happening in Your State webpage and click on your state.