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Our Partners

Show Me College and the Missouri Post-Secondary Education (PSE) Awareness Hub.

Meet the organizations behind Show Me College.

Show Me College and the Missouri Post-Secondary Education (PSE) Awareness Hub is a partnership among the University of Missouri-St. Louis, St. Louis ARC, Special School District of St. Louis County, and UMKC Institute for Human Development, Missouri’s University Centers for Excellence in Development Disabilities (UCEDD).

The Show Me College project’s goal is to spread awareness that college is for everyone, including individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). We believe that postsecondary education is an important step in preparing youth and young adults with IDD for full lives that include meaningful employment and the ability to choose their communities and friends.

Meet Out Partners

University of Missouri St. Louis (UMSL)

Provides excellent learning experiences and leadership opportunities to a diverse 16,000-person student body whose influence on the region upon graduation is immense. With a focus on diversity, UMSL’s goal is to create a truly inclusive community, one where equity is reality. UMSL is home to the Succeed Program, which serves students with IDD, offering a two-year credential and additional post-program learning opportunities.

St. Louis Arc

Empowers people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families to lead better lives by providing a lifetime of high-quality services, family support and advocacy.

Special School District of St. Louis County

Provides special education services to all St. Louis County students with disabilities, including those who attend private, parochial, and independent schools, and those who are home-schooled or homebound for medical or other issues.

University of Missouri-Kansas City Institute for Human Development

An applied research and training center for human services, providing an interdisciplinary approach to solving problems through research, education, training, and public service.

What is a TPSID Grant?

The passage of the Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) in 2008 included several important components that opened the doors to colleges and universities for more students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).

 The Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) of 2008 provided:

  • Grants to two – and four-year colleges and universities to develop or expand high quality, inclusive model Transition and Postsecondary Programs for Students with Intellectual Disabilities (TPSIDs).
  • Funding for the national coordinating center, Think College, based out of the Institute for Community Inclusion at the University of Massachusetts Boston.
  • Access to federal financial aid for students with IDD who enrolled in approved comprehensive transition programs (CTPs).

The University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL) received a $2.1 million TPSID grant in fall 2020. The grant supports SUCCEED, a two-year program designed to teach students with IDD independent living, academic and job skills as they work toward a Chancellor’s Certificate. With the TPSID Grant, SUCCEED will expand and grow in three ways. The program will:

  • Create additional pathways for students to obtain additional credentials and certificates.
  • Enhance the experiences, supports, and partnerships in existing programming.
  • Build capacity to spur growth, knowledge, and sustainability of IPSE programs in MO

The grant is led by the following faculty and staff members at UMSL: Dr. April Regester (Principal Investigator), Jonathan Lidgus, Dr. Lindsay Athamanah, Dr. Magen Rooney-Kron, Dr. Natalie Bolton, Dr. Wen Zeng, and Andrew Kliethermes. Grant efforts are also supported by Dr. Grace Francis (George Mason University) and Dr. Jennifer Bumble (University of Kansas). To accomplish each of the grant goals, the UMSL team partners with the University of Missouri-Kansas City Institute for Human Development, the St. Louis Arc, and the Special School District of St. Louis County.