Jonesboro, AR – (JonesboroRightNow.com) – The RESTORE Hub at Arkansas State University has been awarded approximately $2 million in funding for inclusivity programs for students with disabilities. RESTORE stands for research, education, transition, and outreach through reflective engagement.
The funding will be delivered over the next five years from the Office of Postsecondary Education, a division of the U.S. Department of Education. The funds are earmarked to establish a statewide coordinating center for Inclusive Postsecondary Education (IPSE) programs in Arkansas.
The Consortium for Inclusive Postsecondary Education (CIPET) is coordinating IPSE programs across the state.
“The [CIPET] program is so exciting because it provides the opportunity for A-State’s RESTORE Hub to partner with other universities in Arkansas to create a statewide model for post-secondary education for young adults with disabilities,” said Dr. Travis Marsico, vice provost for research, innovation, and discovery and executive director of the Arkansas Biosciences Institute.
The new initiatives will be led by Dr. Kristin Johnson, executive director of The RESTORE Hub and an A-State faculty member in the College of Education and Behavioral Science.
“This initiative represents a timely and transformative response to one of the most significant gaps in services,” said Johnson. “Students with intellectual and developmental disabilities remain among the most underserved populations, and the consortium model is purposefully designed to close that gap.”
The consortium includes A-State, University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB), and Arkansas State University-Mountain Home (ASUMH). Utilizing those partnerships, The RESTORE Hub will launch a statewide initiative to expand access, strengthen institutional capacity, and increase workforce efforts by building an IPSE program at all three schools.
A-State will use its research designation to anchor consortium-wide data evaluation, personnel development, and professional learning. In addition, the school will serve as the technical assistance hub for regional IPSE sites.
CIPET will provide technical assistance for all comprehensive transition and postsecondary programs, lead data collection and evaluation, and disseminate resources to enhance the capacity and sustainability for grantees of transition and postsecondary programs for students with intellectual disabilities (TPSID) grants statewide.
“Through this grant and our partnership with A-State Jonesboro, we will now be able to offer enhanced services and programming to adults with learning differences, leading to gains in life skills, industry-recognized credentials, certificates, degrees, and gainful employment,” said ASU-Mountain Home Chancellor Bentley Wallace.
“This milestone is especially significant because it is the result of more than two years of intentional collaboration with Arkansas State University, whose successful program has served as both a model and an inspiration,” added UAPB School of Education Dean Kimberley Davis-Hunt.
Johnson added, “Together, we’re building a model that’s not only inclusive and evidence-based but also responsive to the unique needs of our students and communities.”
About RESTORE
The RESTORE Hub at A-State is a social and behavioral sciences research institute specializing in research, problem-solving, and implementation science.