Success Through Opportunity
Daily life is becoming more and more complex and to ensure success you need real
life experience. Our College Experience Program (CEP) gives students with developmental
disabilities the opportunity to earn a two year certificate and gain meaningful,
real skills.
To ensure a well-rounded experience, the College of Saint Rose and Living Resources have partnered their expertise in the areas of education and residential life for individuals with disabilities.
Students can expect to learn skills in the areas of:
- Socialization and Communication
- Self-advocacy
- Time management
- Community integration and Transportation
- Adaptive living skills
The College Experience Program provides our students with the confidence and skills to live independently and work in competitive employment or continue in higher education.
A Community Partnership
Nationwide, students with mental retardation have the second lowest rate of participation
(6%) in post-secondary education programs (Sitlington, 2003). The College Experience
Program is just one of a handful of academic programs in the nation that serves
the developmentally disabled population after the age of 21. Launched in the fall
of 2005, the CEP was collaboratively developed by The College of Saint Rose and
Living Resources. The College of Saint Rose, located in Albany, NY, is a private,
non-sectarian liberal arts college with a strong tradition of service and social
justice. Living Resources (Albany, NY) is a not-for-profit corporation which provides
a wide range of programs and services to individuals with developmental disabilities.
The CEP partners have a history of collaboration and a shared philosophy about the fundamental rights of persons with developmental disabilities. That philosophy affirms their right to autonomy, supports their maximum self-actualization and seeks their inclusion in society. The objective of the CEP co-founders is to afford students who have significant cognitive disabilities similar opportunities as their siblings and high school peers. These students have the chance to attend college in order to transition to independent adult life – but with accommodated instruction that addresses the students' needs for practical living and working skills.
The College Experience Program is offered in collaboration with the New York State Office for Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities (OMRDD) and their Opportunities for People Through Services (OPTS) program.