Project Description:
The Think College NV project began as a mini-Grant by the Institute for Community Inclusion at the University of Massachusetts Boston in 2009. This project utilized funding to provide the first step towards Nevadans with intellectual/developmental disabilities being meaningfully included in postsecondary education. The NCED coordinated strategic planning activities with a wide variety of statewide stakeholders, many whom have already identified postsecondary education as a priority in Nevada. The NCED's relationships with the Nevada System of Higher Education, the Nevada Department of Education, People First, the Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation, the Department of Health & Human Services Regional Centers, Nevada PEP, Interagency Transition Advisory Board, the Nevada Council on Developmental Disabilities, and Family TIES of Nevada guaranteed that a wide scope of voices and experiences were heard.
NCED staff will met with stakeholders throughout the state in person, held focus groups and videoconferences, and conducted surveys to get initial ideas and concerns, discuss possible funding sources, and identify additional collaborators. These efforts then culminated with a one-day collaborative strategic planning process, where stakeholders will identify project goals, tasks to achieve goals, timelines, responsible entities and milestones. It concluded with a collaborative strategic plan in place.
The project continues to seek funding to promote statewide inclusion of students with intellectual disabilities in Nevada colleges. The NCED is currently supporting three VISTA members with intellectual disabilities to use their Segal Education Award to attend college.
Keyword(s):
Postsecondary education, inclusion, transition
Core Function(s):
Performing Technical Assistance and/or Training, Developing & Disseminating Information
Area of Emphasis
Quality Assurance, Education & Early Intervention, Employment-Related Activities, Quality of Life
Target Audience:
Professionals and Para-Professionals, Family Members/Caregivers, Adults with Disabilities, Children/Adolescents with Disabilities/SHCN, Legislators/Policy Makers
Unserved or Under-served Populations:
Specific Groups
Primary Target Audience Geographic Descriptor:
State
COVID-19 Related Data:
N/A
