School-Age and Post-Secondary

Think College Initiative

OVERVIEW

Think College demonstration projects funded under federal grants since 2010 have shown that individuals with ID who attend college show many gains (e.g., academic, in independence, socially, and in obtaining employment) as compared to adolescents and young adults with ID who do not have this opportunity.  College students without disabilities as well as college faculty and staff benefit also.

In December 2017, the Think College National Coordinating Center based at the University of Massachusetts awarded the CT UCEDD a Capacity-Building mini-grant. With support from the UCEDD, the CT Think College Statewide Collaborative developed the Connecticut Think College Strategic Plan to support the vision that CT will have a higher education system where ALL students, regardless of ability, have an opportunity to participate fully in all programs and services of every College, University, and postsecondary career training program.  More detailed information is available in our final report to the Think College National Coordinating Center.

In 2019, the CT Council on Developmental Disabilities funded a project in which the UCEDD collaborated with Goodwin University to become a Comprehensive Transition and Postsecondary Program recognized by the federal Department of Education.  This also resulted in a Handbook detailing the steps taken by Goodwin University that could be followed by any other CT Institution of Higher Education (e.g., colleges, universities, and vocational programs) wishing to develop a Think College Program of its own.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

  • Development of a Connecticut specific data analysis to help determine if the state is ready for a Think College Initiative (2016).
  • Award of Strategic Planning Grant which allowed a statewide strategic planning cooperative to be formed.
  • Development of a Statewide strategic plan by the collaborative.
  • Development of the Handbook to develop a Think College program in any CT Institution of Higher Education based on technical assistance provided to Goodwin University.