(Moscow, ID) University of Idaho has been awarded a $7.8 million grant from the Rehabilitation Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Education to fund a statewide initiative designed to promote competitive integrated employment opportunities for young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
ECLIPSE (Employment Capacity Leveraged through Inclusive Post-Secondary Education) will bolster competitive integrated employment training efforts focused on college-aged students with intellectual and developmental disabilities who attend on-campus inclusive education programs in Idaho. These programs provide opportunities for students to learn alongside same-age peers on college campuses and deliver instruction that aims to increase capacity for finding and maintaining employment.
Andrew Scheef, associate professor in the College of Education, Health and Human Sciences and special education program coordinator, is the lead on this grant, which expands the role of U of I and the Idaho Center on Disabilities and Human Development as state leaders in competitive integrated employment training.
“ECLIPSE is a game changer for Idaho’s inclusive postsecondary education programs,” Scheef said. “The improved employment services will strengthen program offerings for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities across the state. These programs have been shown time and time again to increase opportunities for students to find and maintain employment in integrated settings.”
The primary goals of the project include increasing competitive integrated employment opportunities for youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities by 1) increasing the quantity and quality of on-campus internship opportunities, 2) improving student skill training and 3) increasing campus and community awareness.
“Competitive integrated employment benefits everyone by enriching workplaces, supporting the local economy and empowering Idahoans with disabilities,” Scheef said. “Really, everyone benefits when people with disabilities are better prepared to find and maintain employment.”
The grant includes funding for a statewide coordinator who will oversee competitive integrated employment specialists at U of I (Vandal QUEST program), Boise State University (PEERS program) and Lewis-Clark State College (SPARC program). ECLIPSE will also be able to recruit two additional institutions of higher education in Idaho that are interested in developing similar programs. The grant also includes funding for peer job coaches (traditionally enrolled peers), an annual statewide competitive integrated employment conference and paid opportunities for college students to mentor high school students with disabilities.
Vandal QUEST (Quality University Experiences to Support Transition) is an inclusive postsecondary education program in partnership with the Moscow School District, which allows students aged 18-21 to participate as dual-enrolled students at U of I. Vandal QUEST students enroll in university courses and engage in activities designed to help students achieve individualized goals related to employment, independent living and community engagement.
“Vandal QUEST provides fantastic opportunities for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities, but funds from this grant will vastly improve the employment services,” Scheef said. “In many ways, this is the centerpiece of the Vandal QUEST as we seek to better prepare students for finding and maintaining employment in inclusive settings.”
