WESTFIELD- The Massachusetts Department of Higher Education awarded Westfield State University with a nearly $100,000 grant to support students in the Massachusetts Inclusive Concurrent Enrollment Initiative (MAICEI).
The $99,544.78 grant comes in WSU’s seventh year with a MAICEI program. The idea of the program is that it gives opportunity for students aged 18-21 with learning disabilities to take dual-enrollment courses at the university.
WSU is one of 14 MAICEI programs in the state and accepts students from 11 local school districts including Agawam, Amherst, Chicopee, Hampden Wilbraham, Hampden Charter School of Science, Longmeadow, Ludlow, Southwick Tolland Granville Regional, Springfield, West Springfield, and Westfield.
“We are excited to continue these initiatives and increase our partnerships to provide area students with more options and support for inclusive postsecondary education,” said Lyndsey Nunes, the Westfield State program coordinator.
A press release from WSU stated that the funds received from the grant would be used to improve the program based on recommendations from a recent evaluation of the program. The university also partners with organizations such as Think College and Enchanted Circle Theater as part of the program.
Think College is an organization that helps those with intellectual disabilities access higher education. Enchanted Circle Theater is a program that uses the arts as a tool to help kids learn in the classroom.
Since 2013, when the MAICEI program first started at WSU, the program has grown from just five students to 25 in the 2017-2018 school year, making it the second largest such program in the state at the time.
“Thanks to the leadership of institutions like yours, Massachusetts has distinguished itself as a national leader in creating authentic inclusive learning opportunities for young adults with intellectual disabilities,” said Dr. Carlos Santiago, commissioner of Higher Education in Massachusetts in an award letter to WSU President Dr. Ramon Torrecilha.
Torrecilha spoke highly of the program’s commitment to the values of the university, saying that it helps diversify student enrollment.
“The MAICEI program is a mission-centric initiative, which enables Westfield State to expand its inclusive community and support the personal development of all of its members,” said Torrecilha. “Through this initiative we continue to diversify our student enrollment and make a college education a reality for more motivated individuals.”
Students in the MAICEI program at WSU also work with the PIECES program (Positive Inclusion of Everyone Creates Educational Success). PIECES is a program run by WSU students that acts as a peer mentor group for MAICEI students. It allows them to interact with students during the week on campus and develop social and emotional skills.
