MILLERSVILLE, Pa. – For the first time partners’ with the Pennsylvania Link to Aging and Disabilities Resources for the Berks-Lancaster- Lebanon Service Area hosted a youth transition summit to expose students with disabilities to their options after high school.
“It’s a youth and transition expo for students that are transitioning out of high school into college, into the workforce or into the community,” said Melissa Hawkins from the Disability Empowerment Center.
One option, on display, was the Career and Life Studies Program at Millersville University. The two year program gives students with disabilities the opportunity to experience college.
“I’m going to say my favorite subject is theater. Cause you know, I like to be around the audience and it’s really fun,” said student Christopher Rogers.
Millersville’s program was started with a personal grant of $50,000 from DREAM Partnership. Four other universities, in the state, started similar programs with a federal grant called the Transition and Post Secondary Programs for Students with Intellectual Disabilities or TPSID.
“It’s a competitive grant for 5 years and there are certain universities throughout the United States that have received that grant and their charge is to develop other programs in their states,” said Dr. Ann Marie Licata, Director of PA Inclusive Higher Education Consortium.
The summit will be held annually.
