Project Description:
The overall goal of this project is to develop a sustainable statewide program that will equip family members, self-advocates, and community members with the skills, information, and support they need to advocate for inclusive education for students with IDD. The project will serve all Missouri counties. The project will develop a multi-modal, multi-level Educational Advocacy Learning Package available online or in-person and at three tiers of intensity. Objectives: 1) Form and strengthen partnerships to support training and ensure an ongoing Educational Advocacy Network; 2) Develop and pilot learning package based on existing Family Advocacy Curriculum; 3) Create statewide access to in-person and online training through marketing and recruiting; 4) Provide mentoring to families through network of trained advocates; 5) Disseminate project results. Training options include a full 8-module Mentoring Series, a Foundation Series covering essential educational advocacy topics, and access to individual modules based on participant interest. The project is a partnership among Missouri Family-to-Family, Legal Services of Eastern MO, P&A, and FACT, along with a family and consumer advisory team that will help develop and review learning package content and recruitment strategies. Project activities, products, and quality assurance processes will be incorporated into and sustained through existing training and dissemination infrastructure of Family-to-Family and other grant partners.
Target Audience:
Professionals and Para-Professionals, Family Members/Caregivers, Adults with Disabilities, Children/Adolescents with Disabilities/SHCN
