Joe Gerstle – NKU Graduate and CTP Student During his time at NKU, Joe completed classes related to business, athletics, media and more while also participating in NKU’s Greek Life as a member of the Pike Fraternity. In his free time, Joe enjoys attending NKU basketball games, working out at the Rec Center, and hanging out with his Pike brothers. He is passionate about sports and can be found weightlifting, playing basketball, summing, and running to just name a few activities. During his time in the SHEP Program, Joe focused his internship experience on team management and supporting the Men’s Baseball Team. For the last couple of years, Joe lived on campus in the residence halls and provided assistance to the baseball coaches and players during their practice times. Supported Higher Educationat Northern Kentucky University

SEPSEA Advocacy Group meeting February 24, 2025 The next SEPSEA Advocacy Group meeting will be held (on ZOOM) on Monday, February 24 from *4:00-5:00 Eastern Time (*3:00-4:00 Central Time). The Southeast Postsecondary Education Alliance (SEPSEA) is an organization promoting access to quality inclusive postsecondary education for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities across the region. This online Advocacy Group is a space for students and alums of Inclusive Postsecondary Education (IPSE) programs to connect and share about their college experiences. During this meeting, we will hear from a few graduates and students from the College and Career Studies program at the University of Kentucky about ways they are connecting with their community. Afterward, we would love to hear from everyone else about ways you connect with your community. We hope you will join us for this conversation! For more information about this group, or to get the zoom link for this

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Two Students Celebrated at Northern Kentucky University Celebration Two students complete the Supported Higher Education Program at Northern Kentucky University. Congratulations to Tara McGrath and Michael Bushman! Tara has taken classes across multiple disciplines, including Education, Theatre, English, Business, and more. In this picture is Tara (far right) and her peer mentor Kayla Rich during commencement. She has completed on-campus internships at Empower Learn Create, Steely Library, Northerner, NKU Theatre Box Office and most recently the College of Education Office. Emily Hellman of NKU’s SHEP often hears feedback from Tara’s instructors, internship supervisors, and peer mentors about how delightful, hard-working, and dedicated she is. She has represented NKU and the SHEP Program by leading campus tours and meeting with prospective students and their families. It is not uncommon for Tara to go above and beyond in her work while exceeding expectations. Michael has taken classes in Art, English, Communications, Dance

Owensboro CTP Graduates First Students Gavin Basham and Amie Morris are trailblazers in the CLS Program. Owensboro Community and Technical College (OCTC) graduated its first two students this spring from the Career and Life Skills certificate program: Gavin Basham and Amie Morris. The Career and Life Skills certificate is designed to improve employment options through college-level coursework that includes life-long learning skills, digital literacy, and career exploration, as well as essential workplace skills through experiential learning opportunities for students with intellectual disabilities. The program is a 2-year program that started at OCTC in the fall of 2022 with Gavin and Amie being the first participants in the program. There are now a total of 6 students in the CLS program. Gavin Basham was interested in working in kitchens and restaurants. He gained much experience in food preparation and culinary arts. Through his CLS internships he was offered a job at

University of Kentucky College and Career Studies Program Celebrates Students The Human Development Institute at the University of Kentucky recognized the following Kentucky Supported Higher Education Partnership (KSHEP) students for their achievements in a ceremony on May 2, 2024: Completion of College and Career Studies program at the University of Kentucky Sara Jones (primary focus on Universal Design, Animal Care and Support, and Storytelling in Literature). Justin Harmon (primary focus on Universal Design, Theatre Arts, and Advocacy and Inclusion).Completion of Undergraduate Certificate in Universal Design Callie Baesler Kate Boudreaux Will Lyon Sara Jones Justin Harmon Spotlight on new CCS alums: Justin Harmon The College and Career Studies (CCS) program at the University of Kentucky helped me achieve my dream of going to college. I am thankful for the opportunity it gave me to attend many interesting classes, learn new things, make new friends, and experience campus life. I will forever

This document provides more information about CTPs in Kentucky for students families.

Western Kentucky CTP Approved Western Kentucky University’s application to the US Dept of Ed to establish a CTP has been approved. WKU’s program is the 6th Comprehensive Transition Program that has been approved in the Commonwealth. Read More

Resource: The Center for Transition to Adult Health Care for Youth with Disabilities The Center for Transition to Adult Health Care for Youth with Disabilities website is an online resource center that can be used by youth and young adults with disabilities between the ages of 12-26 and their families and caregivers to learn about how to move (transition) from pediatric health care to adult health care. Pediatric health care is medical care for children ages birth to age 18.  Once children reach age 18, they are most often referred to an adult healthcare provider. This website provides resources that empower youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities to become self-advocates in the transition process without gaps in health care service. The website provides videos for youth with disabilities to view that help them to understand their healthcare transition. Youth can listen to the real-life story of Hunter, who is a young adult with a disability,