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SITE [Skills for Independence, Transition, and Employment]

SITE [Skills for Independence, Transition, and Employment]
Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)
SITE [Skills for Independence, Transition, and Employment]
902 West New York Street
Indianapolis, IN 46202
Program Contact Gwen Chesterfield
Program Contact Email chesterfieldg@myips.org
Phone 3176955045
Website Program website

IUPUI-SITE is one of two IPS transition programs for 18-21-year-old students with intellectual disabilities who graduate with a Certificate of Completion. The SITE Program is a 1-2-year campus and city-based transition program provided on the campus of IUPUI and in the City of Indianapolis that serves as a bridge between high school and the adult life that follows. SITE began with its first student cohort in 2006 as the first campus-based post-secondary transition program in the state of Indiana and has served as a model for many subsequent programs. The SITE Program provides students with focused instruction and practice in skills that prepare them for self-reliance, employment, pursuit of personal interests, and a fulfilling well-rounded adult life as a citizen of Indianapolis. These skills are articulated in the document, IUPUI-SITE Student Competencies and Outcomes, and include navigating the campus and city by learning to ride the IndyGO bus as a means of daily transportation to and from the IUPUI campus and future community destinations. Hallmarks of the SITE Program are the design of personalized systems to promote self-reliance in place of direct staff supervision and the creation of a personalized daily plan with each student aligned to their interests and assets that they can sustain well beyond their participation in the SITE program.

Program information submitted: January 30, 2023

General
Public or private: Public
Type of school: 4-year college or university
Is this program a federally funded TPSID program? No
Number of students: 16
Affiliates
School district or agency partner: Indianapolis Public Schools
Contact person: Gwen Chesterfield
Email: chesterfieldg@myips.org
Requirements
Program serves students who have left high school? Yes, all of our students have left high school
Regular high school diploma required? No, an IEP/non-standard diploma/certificate of attendance is accepted
Deadline to apply to this program: Before winter break - mid-December
Criteria for admission
  • Student must be 18 or older
Accepts out-of-state students? No
Please indicate which disabilities students in this program have:
  • Intellectual disability
  • Autism
  • All have an intellectual disability. Some have additional disabilities such as autism or cerebral palsy.
Planned program length 1 year
Cost
Average student tuition and fees for the current school year: $0.00
Room and board: $0.00
Program fees: $0.00
Is this program able to provide federal financial aid as a Comprehensive Transition Program (CTP)? We are not a CTP, and have no plans to become one.
Students pay for the program in the following ways:
  • Local School District funds
Academic
Students enrolled in this program take the following types of inclusive courses (with students who don't have disabilities): Typical college courses for audit
More about course access:

College course access requires instructor approval and seat availability. Many of these courses are not what is traditionally considered academic courses.

Students take courses that are only for students in this program: Yes
Information on special classes:

They are not formal classes. For example, we teach campus and city navigation, use of our public transportation system (IndyGo bus), budgeting, decision-making, problem solving, self-direction, self-advocacy, and social engagement to increase students' self-reliance and independence. We focus instruction and learning on the SITE Competencies and Outcomes document we share with SITE students and families. Students' goals are set and progress measured using this document.

Percentage of academic time spent in inclusive courses (with students who don't have disabilities): 25-49%
Do all students in this program enroll in at least one inclusive college/university course for credit or audit each semester? Yes
Employment
Percent of students in this program have paid work while attending the program: 63%
Other career development activities are:
  • Internships
  • Volunteer work
  • Community Service
Additional information about career development and work experience:

We teach important career-related soft skills to SITE students as part of our SITE Student Competencies and Outcomes.

Does this program have a working partnership with VR to provide funding, supports and/or services to students in the program? Yes
Housing
Housing is provided to students: No
Extracurricular
Students participate in student organizations on campus: No
Percentage of social time spent in inclusive activities (open to all students on campus): 1-24%
Students may participate in the following extra-curricular activities Campus events
Students participate in these campus-wide events: College/University's Student orientation