Florida International University (FIU) in partnership with Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) and Parent to Parent of Miami, Inc. presents Project Panther LIFE. A newly designed postsecondary transition program for students with Intellectual Disabilities (ID) that will prepare students to complete a well planned, structured, and individualized curriculum with a system of supports. It is a non-degree seeking certificate program and will include academic mentoring, peer coaching, faculty advising, and job coaching. It is the first integrated, inclusive college transition program in South Florida with the first group of students beginning on August 22, 2011 on the Modesto M. Maidique Campus.

The program will provide young adults with developmental disabilities an inclusive, integrated college and social learning experience that will enhance employability, self-determination, decision-making and independent living skills. It will benefit students, educators and the community by providing life long learning experiences that will enlighten their perspective on disabilities and impact their hearts and souls.

When my boys were young I bought the Florida Prepaid College plan for both of them. My expectations and my dream, was that one day both of my sons would attend college. As the years went on it became apparent that only one of my boys may have an opportunity to go, but I never gave up the pre paid college plan and more importantly I never gave up HOPE.

There were many challenges and diagnosis as my youngest son grew up but the most difficult was probably the realization that he had an intellectual disability. The feelings of loss and sadness were heartbreaking and what I thought the future would hold became a blur. When the fog cleared I knew that I would do everything in my power to give him the opportunity to reach his maximum potential and that I would never ever leave a single stone unturned. I never imagined that one day he would tell me that he was going to college and that I would learn that post-secondary education for students with Intellectual Disabilities was not an option in Miami. Our family assumed that going to college was a natural progression just like it had been for everyone else but during his senior year in high school it became obvious that going to college for him was not going to be an easy task to accomplish. I was sitting in the kitchen of our home one day when he walked in and said, "Am I registered to go to Miami Dade College?" Upon my hesitation, he looked at me and waving his hand said, "Well then we better go do whatever we need to do to make it happen,” and with that we embarked on our journey. If he wanted to go to college, then to college he would go!

I studied and I researched and learned that there were many programs around the country, but I had to find a way to get a program in Miami because it was clear that he did not want to leave home yet, although now he is ready to go live in the dorms on the FIU campus! Along the way I found information, resources and lots of support but no program in Miami. When he graduated in June 2009 we weren’t sure which way to go. I began sending emails, making phone calls and visiting college/university professors, deans and administrators and in collaboration and with the support of Jill Brookner, Instructional Supervisor, M-DCPS we held webinars and forums to build awareness of the need for a college transition program in Miami-Dade County.

In the summer of 2010 the big break came when the US Department of Education through the Office of Postsecondary Education under the Higher Education Opportunity Act enacted on August 14, 2008, put out competitive grants to Institutes of Higher Education to create these high quality inclusive programs. With the support of Dave Lawrence, currently chair of the Children’s Movement of Florida, FIU’s provost Dr. Doug Wartzok opened the door to the possibility of a college transition program on the Maidique Campus by submitting a letter of support for the Florida Consortium on Postsecondary Education Transition Programs & Intellectual Disabilities proposal.

In October 2010, administered by the Office of Postsecondary Education $10.9 million was awarded for 28 grants that create opportunities for students with intellectual disabilities to attend and be successful in higher education. Of the $10.9 million, $10.564 million was awarded to 27 two- and four-year institutions of higher education or consortia of institutions under the model comprehensive Transition and Postsecondary Programs for Students with Intellectual Disabilities (TPSID). The remainder was awarded to THINK COLLEGE out of the University of Mass, Boston as the national coordinating center.

The Florida Consortium on Postsecondary Education Transition Programs & Intellectual Disabilities led by Jordan Knabb, Principal Investigator & Director, Project 10: Transition Education Network was awarded the only grant in Florida. It is a collaborative partnership between the University of North Florida in Jacksonville On Campus Transition Program, the University of South Florida- St. Petersburg’s Project Stingray and Lynn University’s Project ACCESS. One of the three-grant objectives is to assist in developing new programs across the state and a mini-grant for individual student supports was awarded to Florida International University in June 2011.

The grant’s principal investigator Diana Valle-Riestra, Assistant Professor Special Education, Teaching and Learning supported by Rosa Jones, Vice-President of Student Affairs and Delia C. Garcia Dean College of Education is leading this groundbreaking initiative at FIU! The grant will facilitate the inclusion of academic mentors, peer coaches and faculty advisors in the program.

Parents and advocacy organizations have always played a mayor role in systems change and parents can be the key to the growth and success of creating these college experiences for students with Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities. Parents need to be aware of the post secondary options for their young adults with all disabilities, they need to get involved in the initiatives that are happening in their communities, they need to call the universities and colleges and let them know that they would like their students to attend college, they need to attend transition IEP meetings and be clear that the ultimate goal is post secondary education.

On August 22^nd the first group of students accepted into Project Panther LIFE will be on campus as official Golden Panthers and this will be an exhilarating day in our household and a powerful day for all parents and families of children and young adults with all disabilities because on this day there will be HOPE all over Miami-Dade County.

Lileana de Moya
President, Board of Trustees
Parent to Parent of Miami