Pictured above: “These are just typical kids,” Co-Principal Investigator Dr. Lyman Dukes (left of center) said. “They want to do the same things that everybody else wants to do. They want to go to school, they want to learn, they want to have friends, they want to have fun.”
Courtesy of Jordan Myers.
By Molly Ryan
UMatter, an Inclusive Postsecondary Education (IPSE) program at USF St. Petersburg, opens new doors for students with intellectual disabilities.
Introducing its first cohort of seven students, the UMatter program aids participants in auditing classes, living on campus, engaging in student life and organizations and gaining professional experience in preparation for a career.
“We’ve always had a desire to have a program,” Dr. Danie Roberts-Dahm, the director and co-principal investigator of UMatter, said.
“We had a program on our campus years ago… But more recently in 2016, a new act came about called the Florida Comprehensive Transition Program Act that put together a center called the Florida Center for Students with Unique Abilities who provide start-up grants for [ISPE] programs and students scholarships – we definitely knew we wanted to pursue that.”
After years of effort, Roberts-Dahm and Co-Principal Investigator Dr. Lyman Dukes were able to get a $900,000 grant approved and began taking applications for UMatter last fall.
Participants receive a $7,000 yearly scholarship, auditing courses of their choosing as non-degree seeking students where they will eventually earn an academic certificate of completion.
“The overall goal is really what it would be for anyone else, and that is ultimately to further their education with a focus on being competitively employed in an integrated setting eventually,” Dukes said.
While different ISPE programs have been available at USF St. Petersburg since 2008, UMatter is the first to provide housing for its students.
“All seven [UMatter students] are living in [the Pelican Apartments] and they’re from across the state,” Roberts-Dahm said. “We had applicants from all over the nation. We’ve got a couple that are local from the Pinellas County area, but the other five are from all around the state.”
UMatter is one of the only programs that provides an on-campus living experience out of less than half of the 26 ISPE programs in Florida.
According to thinkcollege.net, Florida has the second largest offering of ISPE programs in the nation behind New York, which offers 32 programs.
UMatter also provides developmental experience for those pursuing a career in special education by offering paid mentor positions.
“We are looking for volunteers to be peer mentors and help students get involved on campus,” Roberts-Dahm said.
“An academic mentor, which are kind of like a study buddy tutor, is a paid position to support our students in their courses. While our students are auditing their courses, they still have high expectations to be prepared for class and get assignments done.”
While it’s only UMatter’s first active year on campus, Roberts-Dahm, Dukes and fellow board member Dr. Jayme Joslyn expressed aspirations to expand opportunities in the program in hopes of a more integrated landscape for those with intellectual disabilities.
“I firmly believe that the more experience we give our students, the more options that they will have in life,” Joslyn said.
“And I really feel like with the UMatter program, we’re not only tailoring experiences to what their strengths and interests are, but what their passions are – and who doesn’t want to come to work when you’re passionate about something.”
If you or someone you know is interested in getting involved with UMatter, contact Roberts-Dahm at lroberts@usf.edu. For more information on the program, visit usf.edu/education/umatter.
