Students raising their hands in a classroom

Helpful Resources

Post Secondary Education Resources

  • College Goal Sunday
    A yearly statewide event that takes place around Super Bowl time which assists students and their families with completing online the federal financial aid form. This year the program is on January 31, 2010 and available statewide at 13 locations. A student needs to register online at the listed website in order to participate. Also volunteers are needed at all sites and to volunteer a person needs to register online also.  The snow date is February 14, 2010.
  • Know How 2 GO Connecticut
    An interactive website that lists the steps that students should follow, beginning in middle school, when getting for post-secondary education.
  • College Week Live
    A free interactive online college fair with more than 200 colleges participating from around the world. College Week Live occurs yearly in November and March.
  • College Board
    The College Board is a not-for-profit membership association whose mission is to connect students to college success and opportunity.

Scholarships

Applications for this scholarship should be sent to:

Connecticut Down Syndrome Congress Scholarship Committee
c/o UCONN Center on Disabilities
263 Farmington Avenue, MC 6222
Farmington, CT 06030

The application should include the scholarship name, the applicant’s name, address and phone number, the name of the academic institution they are attending, a description of the program, a copy of the transcript or list of courses, the amount of scholarship they are requesting and a resume. Please include a cover letter indicating why the applicant should receive the award. For additional information contact the Connecticut Down Syndrome Congress. Scholarships will be presented at CDSC’s Annual Convention in the Fall.

  • The Bobby Fund Scholarship – Presented by the Connecticut Down Syndrome Congress (CDSC)
    The Connecticut Down Syndrome Congress offers educational scholarships to students with Down Syndrome who are pursuing post-secondary education opportunities. The Board of Directors of CDSC has allocated $2,000 annually for this scholarship. The entire amount can go to one individual or, if several worthy candidates are identified, it can be split amongst such individuals. In order to apply, candidates must meet the following criteria:

    • They must be a Connecticut resident, but they can be attending a school outside of Connecticut
    • The school must be an accredited academic institution.
    • They can be either full or part-time students
    • They must be a member of CDSC
    • CDSC will require proof of enrollment at the school

Applications for this scholarship should be sent to:

Connecticut Down Syndrome Congress Scholarship Committee
c/o UCONN Center on Disabilities
263 Farmington Avenue, MC 6222
Farmington, CT 06030

The application should include the scholarship name, the applicant’s name, address and phone number, the name of the academic institution they are attending, a description of the program, a copy of the transcript or list of courses, the amount of scholarship they are requesting and a resume. Please include a cover letter indicating why the applicant should receive the award. For additional information contact the Connecticut Down Syndrome Congress. Scholarships will be presented at CDSC’s Annual Convention in the Fall.

  • Financial Aid, Scholarships and Resources for Students with Learning Disabilities – An article by the National Center for Learning Disabilities
  • Josuah O’Neill and Zeshan Tabani Enrichment Fund from the National Down Syndrome Society - Financial assistance is available to young adults with Down syndrome who want to enroll in post-secondary programs or take classes that will help them with employment, independent living and life skills.  The 2010 application form can be downloaded hereand is due July 16, 2010.

Employment

  • Connect-Ability
    Connect-Ability works in the state of Connecticut to identify and remove barriers to employment faced by people with disabilities.
  • Transcen Inc.
    Transcen Inc. provides career and workforce development.  They develop, implement, and research innovative practices regarding school-to-adult life transition, career and workforce development, and inclusive community participation.
  • CT Works Career Centers – Workforce Alliance
    The Workforce Alliance works to improve the delivery of workforce services in close collaboration with business, education and training providers, and local elected officials.
  • Ticket to Work and Work Incentives
    The Ticket to Work Program provides most people receiving Social Security benefits (beneficiaries) more choices for receiving employment services.

Independent Living and Community Participation

  • Connecticut State Independent Living Council
    The mission of the Connecticut State Independent Living Council is to promote choice, equal access, opportunity, and full inclusion of people with disabilities in the economic, political, social, cultural, and educational mainstream of American Society.

Self-Advocacy

Other Helpful Resources

Books

  • 100 Things Every College Student With A Disability Ought to Know
    This is a self-help orientation guidebook for students with disabilities that is designed to help identify problem areas, offer suggestions and provide additional web site connections for assistance in building success with issues of academic and social life in college. It helps to better explain what is expected of students with disabilities in college and provides helpful tips and strategies that can help students avoid the common problems of adjusting from secondary school. It highlights crucial information students with disabilities need to know about practices for accommodations, expectations of professors and where and how to communicate their disability related college needs. It is also formatted as a quick and easy carry-around reference that serves to alleviate awkward and unnerving circumstances before they occur.
  • Getting Into and Surviving College When You Have A Learning Disability: Learning How to Learn
    Written for high school and college students with learning disabilities (LD), this thorough, down-to-earth manual gently steers students through the process of preparing for college, choosing the right school and succeeding academically. Drawing from her own experiences, Joyanne offers concrete, step-by-step advice on how LD students can do the following: Take standardized tests in a form best suited to their needs, Select a postsecondary program that will support their future goals and learning styles, Take advantage of a wide range of supports and services, Advocate for their rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act, to highlight their learning strengths And to survive and succeed in college and beyond.
  • Preparing Students with Disabilities for College Success: A Practical Guide to Transition Planning by Stan F. Shaw, Joseph W. Madaus and Lyman L. Dukes III
    For students with mild to moderate, non-visible disabilities, navigating a college education without the support team they had in high school can be challenging.  Help students become effective self-advocates and maximize their postsecondary possibilities with this book.

If you would like to borrow either of these books or if you would like a complete listing of our transition books please contact CPAC at: (800) 445-2722 or by email at: cpac@cpacinc.org.

Websites

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