For the eighth consecutive year, the Institute for Disability Studies (IDS) at The University of Southern Mississippi hosted its annual Summer Enrichment Academy––focused on providing youth and young adult students with disabilities a summer employment learning experience through its Transition of Teens to Adult Life (ToTAL) program. The academy was held at both the Hattiesburg and Gulf Park campuses.
This year’s academy––which included 40 participants from across the state––consisted of one week of pre-employment training, followed by individualized, paid community and work-based learning experiences (internship opportunities). Week one offered students the opportunity to “Level Up Their Career Readiness” through a Pokémon-themed curriculum that prepared them for up to 120 hours of direct work-based learning, made possible through local partnerships. Virtual options were available for students under age 16 or those unable to participate in person.
The academy and ToTAL activities, considered pre-employment transition services, are offered through a collaboration with the Mississippi Department of Rehabilitation Services. Beth Robertson, IDS executive coordinator for Transition to Adulthood Services and lead staff member for the Summer Enrichment Academy, emphasized how collaboration and real-world experiences make the program impactful.
“Thanks to our IDS trainers and local business partners, the Summer Enrichment Academy becomes a hands-on learning lab where students have the opportunity to practice real job skills, see their strengths employed, and finish the summer with a new confidence, ready to take on the world,” Robertson said.
The IDS, headquartered at Southern Miss, is Mississippi’s University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities. For nearly 50 years, IDS has upheld its mission to positively impact the lives of Mississippians with developmental and other disabilities and their families across the lifespan––and to work toward increasing their independence, productivity and inclusion in the community. IDS concentrates its efforts in the following primary areas: community living, education and family engagement.
To learn more about the ToTAL program and IDS at Southern Miss, call 601.266.5163, email or visit the Institute for Disability Studies online. To support IDS, visit the USM Foundation. Your contribution allows IDS to continue meeting the needs of Mississippians with disabilities and their families.