Reaching Independence through Supported Education (RISE)
 
The Reaching Independence through Supported Education (RISE) Program is a collaborative effort among area school districts and CES with Sacred Heart University. RISE is for students 18-21 years old with limited cognitive functioning who can benefit from a placement in a more age-appropriate setting versus a high school environment.

 

The program provides instructional opportunities to meet individual transition goals in the areas of vocational, social, and personal management skills through a variety of university campus- and community-based activities. Typically, the placement of a student in the RISE Program is during the student's last two years of special education eligibility. Over this two-year span, students achieve new levels of independence.

 

Instruction is practical and in real-life settings. RISE students increase their confidence and self-reliance to be productive participants in their communities. On a university campus, students have an opportunity to interact with age-appropriate peers while addressing individual transition goals that include vocational, social, and personal management skills. The ultimate goal for each student is to be engaged in experiences that will lead them to become more self-sufficient young adults.