Postsecondary Education Programs
Fisher partners with three local school districts to offer postsecondary education programs designed to support young adults with developmental disabilities, ages 18-21, as they gain life skills needed to transition to adulthood.
The postsecondary program promotes intellectual and personal growth in education, work, and community settings through developmental peer relationships. Currently, the program includes students from Brighton, Webster, and West Irondequoit Central School Districts.
Postsecondary Education Program Mission
The mission of the program is to assist young adults with disabilities in strengthening their daily living, social/personal, and occupational skills. This skill development supports the young adults' transition to living as independently as possible in their communities. Each student shares individualized dreams, identifies skills needed to reach the dreams, and creates a goal plan for achieving them. This goal plan becomes each student's curriculum and is carried out in the program on the Fisher campus and in the community. Our inclusive campus community seeks to offer diverse experiences that are structured to promote positive social, cognitive, and emotional growth for all members of the Fisher community.
Program Activities
The young adults in the postsecondary programs are involved in numerous events and activities across campus and the greater community:
- Engaging in voluntary or paid work experience on campus and in the community
- Dining and socializing in the cafes and dining halls across campus
- Use of books, DVDs, and other materials at Lavery Library
- Exercising at the fitness center in the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Athletic Center
- Attending sporting events and movie nights
- Playing pool in the Campus Center Mainstage
- Joining student clubs and organizations
- Visiting the Cardinal TV studio
- Hosting a table at the Involvement Fest twice a year
- Joining the annual Teddi Dance for Love fundraising event
- Partnering with inclusive adolescence education majors in a community-engaged learning mentoring program
Getting Involved
There are a number of ways for Fisher students and faculty/staff to get involved with the postsecondary program. The time commitment may vary, depending on individual schedules, but consistency is of utmost importance.
For more information about the program or about how to get involved, contact:
Dr. Whitney Rapp
Fisher Liaison and Program Administrator
wrapp@sjf.edu
(585) 899-3718
For Students
Community-Engaged Learning Courses: Courses, such as ITED 228 Adolescent Development, pair Fisher students as mentors of students in the PSP program.
Field Placements: Since the Postsecondary Programs are special education classroom settings, they can be sites for additional education field experience hours.
Campus Peer: Campus peers assist in wayfinding on campus, answer questions, and educate about the roles of various locations/offices on campus.
Coursework Peer: Coursework peers accompany PSP students to classes; assist with preferred seating, notetaking, and material management; and scaffold conversations with peers and professors.
Social Peer: Social peers eat, hang out, exercise, or attend club meetings and social events with PSP students; introduce PSP students to friends and classmates; and exchange phone numbers to support text etiquette and making social plans.
Job Peer: Job peers accompany PSP students to vocational locations, get them started on tasks, provide a varied level of support during the shift, and debrief on their job performance after the shift.
For Faculty and Staff
Course Support: Some PSP students observe or audit courses. Depending on the individual, some academic or social support may be needed. Often, PSP students needing any type of support will be accompanied in class by a coursework peer. If you are interested in supporting a PSP student in the course(s) you teach, contact Whitney Rapp, college liaison/program administrator at wrapp@sjf.edu.
PSP Student Presentations: PSP students have presented in various courses about their program experience, person-centered planning for transition to adulthood, or disability awareness.
Guest Teacher in PSP Classroom: An opportunity to co-plan and co-teach a lesson with the PSP instructors.
Career Education: PSP students are setting their vocational goals. It would be beneficial for them to learn about your positions on campus as well as job opportunities in all fields.
Program Teachers
Program teachers are dedicated to creating opportunities for students in our postsecondary program.
