The promise of opportunity on which Berry was founded is now available to young adults with intellectual disabilities thanks to a new program in Inclusive Post-Secondary Education (IPSE) launching this fall.
Supported by a grant from the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities, this initiative for students ages 18-26 is the first of its kind to be offered by a private college in Georgia and the 10th to join Georgia’s IPSE consortium.
Three Rome-area students are preparing to take their first steps as pilot participants in the two-year certificate program. Their Berry journey will combine academic, vocational and interpersonal learning opportunities presented within a highly supportive, actively mentored environment – not altogether different from traditional students.
“IPSE is mission-centric for Berry,” said Professor and Chair of Psychology Michelle Haney, who directs the program. “As I’ve learned about similar programs that exist in our state and across the country, I’ve discovered that their goals are just Berry goals.
“We want all Berry students to explore jobs on campus and have mentored relationships with faculty. As students start off on their academic journey, they usually have more-experienced peers mentoring them. That’s how IPSE is set up, and that literally is the Berry culture.”
Beginning this fall, IPSE students will be on campus four to five days each week, taking one 3-hour course of their choice per semester alongside traditional students. They also will engage in skill development courses with other first-year students and work six hours per week in an on-campus job.
As Haney describes it, IPSE students will be surrounded by a “circle of support” assisting them in exploring clubs, cultural events and other campus activities. In addition, they will meet regularly with IPSE staff to set independent goals, build résumés and hone job skills. At the end of their two years, students will receive a certificate reflecting their successful completion of the program.
“These students are going to be self-advocates and leaders in their communities, so we want to equip them to work in groups effectively and navigate professional relationships,” Haney described. “We will be following our IPSE graduates over time because one of the big goals is that they have a good quality of life and that the training they receive enriches their interpersonal skills. We want to see them employed, as independent as possible and to have choices in life.”
To learn more about the Berry College Program for Inclusive Learning, contact Haney at mhaney@berry.edu.
