N.D. recruiting low-income youth with disabilities to further their education and employability

The North Dakota Center for Persons with Disabilities, a Center of Excellence on Minot State University’s campus, will begin recruitment of 50 North Dakota youth with disabilities to participate in a six-state project to improve their education and employment outcomes. The Achieving Success by Promoting Readiness for Education and Employment project will recruit youth with disabilities between the ages of 14 and 16 and their families to participate.

ASPIRE is a collaboration of six states: Arizona, Colorado, Montana, North and South Dakota and Utah. This partnership was formed to implement the U.S. Department of Education grant under the Promoting the Readiness of Minors in Supplemental Security Income (PROMISE) Initiative.

“All children deserve a chance to achieve their educational and career goals,” said Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. “The PROMISE initiative provides services and support to help our most at-risk students and their families so that they can focus on their education and a brighter future.”

The terms of the federal grant divides the teens into two groups. Twenty-five of the 50 North Dakota teens and their families who enter the project will receive information about existing services in the state. The remaining 25 youth will be offered additional case management, benefits counseling, financial capability training, career and work-based learning experiences, and parent information and training until September 2018. The two groups, those who were offered the additional services and those who receive existing services, will be compared to determine the effectiveness of the additional services.

To learn more about ASPIRE North Dakota, see www.aspirewest.org or contact Amy Armstrong, ASPIRE North Dakota site coordinator, at Amy.Armstrong@minotstateu.edu or (800) 233-1737.


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Minot State University is a public university dedicated to excellence in education, scholarship, and community engagement achieved through rigorous academic experiences, active learning environments, commitment to public service, and a vibrant campus life.

Published: 12/16/14   


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