Access ETSU was awarded a $2.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to help prepare students with intellectual disabilities for future employment.
Access ETSU is a two-year, non-degree-program designed to help individuals with intellectual disabilities learn the skills necessary for life after school. It started in 2019 and is the only program of its kind in the region. There are only six programs like it in Tennessee.
Currently, the program is serving two students and has four professors on staff: Dawn Rowe, Pamela Mims, Cynthia Chambers and Lori Marks.
They also have the help of graduate assistants and peer mentors.
“Dr. Mims is focused on the academic components, and Dr. Chambers helps with the peer mentors and other program coordination, and Dr. Marks helps with marketing and families and other things,” said Rowe, an associate professor of educational foundations and special education in the ETSU Clemmer College.
Rowe said the program is very excited to receive the highly competitive grant and is ready to increase the scale of Access ETSU. They plan to use the grant to fund new positions such as a program coordinator, academic coordinator and employment specialist.
“These are three really critical positions that we need to best serve the students,” said Rowe. “In addition, the funds will support tuition and fees for at least 10 students a year for the next five years, which is super exciting.”
The funding will also enable them to provide professional development and support to faculty and staff on campus to better their ability to provide for students with intellectual disabilities.
“The funds, actually, don’t just support ETSU, but they also support our community schools,” said Rowe. “So, it’s really exciting.”
Over the next five years, Access ETSU plans to build a sustainable program that will last beyond the grant’s run-out date.
