By Katie Fahrenkopf | Academic Coordinator
“We’re college students now, guys – it’s official!” Reed, pictured left, exclaimed as College Experience staff snapped photos of first-day memories. On August 14th, twenty-two new students moved into their dormitories at The College Experience program. The air was a-buzz with excitement as students and their families unpacked, met their new housemates and classmates, and prepared for freshmen orientation.
Going away to college has become a rite-of-passage for many young adults, but it is a particularly special experience for students with disabilities. Out of the United States’ more than 4,700 degree-granting institutions, only 263 offer programs for students with intellectual disabilities. Additionally, many of the programs for students with intellectual disabilities that do exist offer only academic programing during the day, rather than a comprehensive college experience.
We are thrilled to provide our students with the opportunity to independently live and learn on a college campus – and to truly identify themselves as real college students!
The first two weeks of orientation were filled with lots of laughs and new experiences. Our staff and students fondly refer to the orientation weeks as “Boot Camp.” It’s a time for our students to focus intensively on learning basic independent living skills, such as how to navigate their new community, grocery shop and do laundry. During orientation, students are also encouraged to socialize and form relationships with their peers during activities such as bowling and baseball games.
Over their next two years in the program, the new students will experience tremendous growth as they learn to navigate new terrain, participate in a rigorous academic program, and immerse themselves in college life. Ultimately, their two years as College Experience students will culminate in the knowledge and skills necessary to lead a fulfilling, independent life.
It’s official: the new College Experience students have begun their journey!
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By Katie Fahrenkopf | Project Leader
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