Dalton Giesick
Writer. Journalist. Author.
ELEVATE at ACC
Pathways to Inclusive Higher Education sponsored by IN!
What is ELEVATE at ACC?
According to Jennifer Woegens, Elevate’s director at Arapahoe Community College (ACC), "Elevate is now a high-quality, inclusive program that offers students the chance to improve both emotionally and professionally. We offer assistance to students to set short - and long-term goals and relate achievements to future job possibilities." Elevate courses expand on recurring themes such as community involvement, college and career preparedness, and self-advocacy to help students develop their personal and professional abilities. Early on in the program, career assistance is offered, and participants take part in both paid and unpaid job experiences. According to the student's personalized plan of study, Elevat's three-year program consists of three courses every semester, two of which must be taken from the general ACC course catalog and one of which must be tailored to the student's specific needs. According to Woegens, "We establish objectives and create a clear professional path. Over the course of the program, students are given the necessary accommodations and adaptations. Students should graduate from Elevate equipped for jobs and more independence. The program's graduates are awarded a Comprehensive Higher Education Diploma. For extra help, students are also partnered and engaged with peer mentors who are also going to college alongside them. Elevate students will pay program fees of approximately $1,500 per semester, in addition to normal tuition and fees. Financial assistance is offered as well.
How ELEVATE Got Started
Elevate at ACC was founded and began its first semester in the fall of 2016 with funding from the Inclusive Higher Education Act, referred to as Senate Bill 16-196, which became into law in May 2016 with assistance from the Colorado Initiative for Higher Education, also known as IN!, allowing students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) to pursue higher education. IN!'s mission is to offer accessible college programs for adults with intellectual disabilities in Colorado in order to encourage academic progress, social growth, and professional achievement. IN! financing provides an individualized strategy to academic achievement and inclusion for college students with IDD who have traditionally been unable to fulfill the standards for college admission or who require assistance.
Meet The Staff of Elevate
NEXT STEPS
Once admitted as part of the Elevate program at Arapahoe Community College (ACC), the student is designated an Elevate at ACC student. The student will next work alongside the Elevate at ACC coordinator to create and implement a customized study plan that is tailored to their specific needs. The study plans comprise specific courses that are selected depending on the abilities and expertise needed by students to achieve their academic and career goals. Finally, ACC Career Counselors collaborate with each Elevate student, their family, the Elevate Coordinator, plus civic organizations to fulfill the student's particular job objectives. Elevate enhances and reinforces their academic talents, helps them prepare for the future, gains job skills, makes long-lasting connections, and broadens their alternatives.
Resources you need to succeed since 2016
Meet The Peer Mentors
Nick
Colin
Mason
Jenna
What exactly is a peer mentor for Arapahoe Community College's (ACC) Elevate program? Becoming an Elevate peer mentor will actively assist Elevate students in succeeding. The mentor will work one-on-one and in smaller groups with students, assisting students with their academics, providing targeted classroom support, assisting them in developing essential soft skills, assisting with career guidance, and fostering social contact with other ACC students. Additionally, don't forget that you're going to get paid while assisting kids in achieving their future goals. Peer mentoring involves a wide range of duties such as assisting students with homework, offering light tutoring, providing individualized assistance in the classroom, assisting Elevate students in discovering on-campus positions, encouraging social interaction, attending campus functions with students, and supporting the Elevate club. If interested in becoming a peer mentor yourself, send a current résumé to Jennifer Woegens, Elevate Director at ACC, too jennifer.woegens@arapahoe.edu.
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Because students understand that they will receive a peer mentor during the Elevate program, the mentors develop an unbreakable link with them. The link takes you to the entire blog. Being a friend is to have one: The Story of Bo Ellis. When asked about his Elevate experiences, Bo Ellis, an ACC Elevate student whom lives with Cerebral Palsy, a hereditary movement, muscular tone, or postural issue, stated that the two most difficult challenges he faces are "being able to squeeze the shampoo bottle and prepare meals for himself on the stove." Ellis will finish his education and graduate from ACC in May 2023, thus it was the best moment for Ellis to make an appearance.
PEAK
A Second Opetion For Success at ACC
Dan, one of Peak's top experts, was featured in an on-location live video produced and recorded at ACC (Arapahoe Community College). If a student with intellectual disability fails to be admitted into Elevate, the Peak program provides a second opportunity at success. Peak works hard to help students succeed, whether it's "through in-class support or participation in a live workshop," according to Dan.
LEARNIN G OUTCOMES
A college degree or certification will set you on the path to lifelong study, act as a springboard for extending your career-granting courses, or give you with the skills needed to find job. As a consequence of their experiences on campus as well, in the classroom, and at work, students will achieve increased independence, self-reliance, and proficiency in the following areas.
Identifying and obtaining useful, transportable, and job-relevant capabilities; critical thinking qualities include gathering information, analyzing it, and reflective thinking of learning.
Elevate at ACC helps students strengthen their professional and personal skills by expanding on common topics like speaking for oneself as well as college and career readiness, and community involvement. The Elevate at ACC program provides job placement support and personalized internships. Career counseling is provided early in the curriculum.
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