“The MAICEI program at Bridgewater is simply awesome. I can honestly say my daughter Kate has had a wonderful experience and flourished in this program. She not only found a program of interest here, but is taking college courses and doing an internship in her area of study. The program has built her confidence and she has become more outgoing. Kate is in her second year at Bridgewater MAICEI and she continues to build relationships with her peers, peer mentors, liaison, and the wonderful staff who care about each and every one of their students.”
—Rose Larrivee, Parent
The MAICEI program at Bridgewater State University is a fully-inclusive postsecondary program for young adults with intellectual/developmental disabilities. Students in the BSU MAICEI program share the same experiences as their college-aged peers in the areas of academics, socialization, career development, and independent living. With supports in place, our MAICEI students enroll in courses, take part in campus internships, and socialize with peers. Our partnership currently consists of twenty public districts; monthly meetings are held with our partner districts and we rely on their expertise to recommend students to apply to the MAICEI program. The final number of students accepted into the program per district will be determined by the University MAICEI Personnel. When attending the University, students are expected to follow the University calendar and students will adhere to the University’s Code of Conduct.
This year, BSU received grant-funding from the Executive Office of Education to pilot an MAICEI Residence Life program. Two MAICEI program students were selected to live in a BSU residence hall full-time while continuing to receive supports from their partnering district. These students enroll in courses, take part in internships, and are fully immersed in BSU college life. Fully expecting a successful pilot year, BSU plans to open the MAICEI Residence Life application to more candidates for the 2017-2018 academic year.
Students involved in the MAICEI program at Bridgewater State University will:
Dr. Jon Cash
Interim MAICEI Director
jcash@bridgew.edu
(508) 531-2109
Zachary Chipman
MAICEI Job & Career Specialist
Bridgewater State University
Zachary.Chipman@bridgew.edu
(508) 531-2810
“The MAICEI Program is a warm and welcoming community on campus. Through this program I was able to meet an amazing group of students. Over the year I was able to watch the MAICEI students grow and do incredible things. Becoming a part of MAICEI community was one of the best things I could have joined here at BSU.”
—Sam Dias, Peer Mentor
Stephanie has entered her second year in the MAICEI Program at Bridgewater State University. Stephanie is from Attleboro, MA and was one of the first students who requested to speak at the MAICEI End of Year Celebration, her speech brought the audience to tears. It has always been a dream of Stephanie's to attend college one day, just as her peers do. Stephanie is an intelligent, sociable and very motivated student on campus. She is the first to set-up social outings on campus and always makes sure that everyone is invited, so not to miss out on the activities on campus; she is also a member of the BSU Chapter of Best Buddies and hopes to serve on their Executive Board this year as a student representative. Stephanie will be interning at the BSU bookstore this semester to gain more experience working with customers. She is the definition of a dedicated worker who is always looking to take that extra step to assure satisfaction and quality work.
Stephanie has taken a number of courses towards her career goals including Art, Voice I and Early Child/Elementary Education. She has used her experience to meet new friends, develop friendships, network with professors and supervisors and become a leader that others not only look up to but go to for advice. Stephanie’s speech at the MAICEI End of Year Celebration encompassed her amazing first year and that going to college was a dream come true! She finished her speech with the following quote, “I want the world to know I go to Bridgewater State University.”
“When asked to take on an MAICEI student into my course, I was reluctant. Although I am a lifelong advocate of inclusion in public schools, I wasn’t certain there was a place for it in college level courses. What I found was that the MAICEI student made the course better for every single person in the class.
“When I was proceeding through my lectures too quickly, he would ask that I slow down or repeat material. Inevitably, others in the class would point out that I was moving too quickly for them, as well. When students were asked to work in groups, I would see the MAICEI student’s group work particularly carefully and thoughtfully to plan for a presentation or to reexamine the material. The MAICEI student brought a sense of community, kindness, and camaraderie to the college classroom, an element that is often missing due to the diverse make-up and busy lives of university students. The class I taught was among the best courses I have ever taught. Every student learned more, participated more, and respected and valued their classmates in a way I have seldom seen. When discussing this with other professors with enrolled MAICEI students they reported similar surprising and consistently positive results. I support the program for the good it will do for the small number of MAICEI students. But the biggest value of this program is what it has added to the college experience for the huge number of non-disabled students that will share courses with their disabled peers. They not only receive a richer academic experience, but they also experience directly the value of working and participating with people with disabilities. It is this tremendous benefit that will produce better scholars and citizens in the student body at Bridgewater State University.”
—Dr. Lisa Battaglino, Dean, College of Education and Allied Studies
BSU was recently awarded funding to implement the first MAICEI Residence Life pilot program, a fully-inclusive postsecondary program for young adults with intellectual/developmental disabilities. Students in the BSU MAICEI program share the same experiences as their college-aged peers in the areas of academics, socialization, career development and independent living.
ICEI students are now living at BSU full-time in campus residence halls while continuing to receive supports from their partnering districts. These students enroll in courses, take part in internships and are fully immersed in BSU’s college life. Bridgewater is fully anticipating a successful pilot year and looks forward to offering the MAICEI Residence Life opportunity to many more qualified candidates.
Our two BSU MAICEI Residence Life students:
“I feel I've grown a lot as a person since I've been living on the BSU campus. Not only have I gotten to know many new people, this has also been great opportunity to further my independence. Having benefited this much from the ResLife program, I highly recommend it to prospective MAICEI students looking to gain a more 'in-depth' college experience.”
—Sean Meehan, MAICEI Residence Life Student
“This pilot program has given me tons of independence and has proved that I can live an independent life where I am open to experiencing all kinds of new things.”
—Michael Sweeney, MAICEI Residence Life Student
Bridgewater State University has high expectations – of our students, our region and the institution itself. Our goal is to provide outstanding growth opportunities and learning experiences that will transform lives. Since its founding in 1840, Bridgewater State has remained steadfast in its commitment to empower individuals and instill in its community an abiding desire to advance the public good. Our rigorous and dynamic academic environment encourages students and faculty to develop their strengths and become leaders in their fields. At the same time, we strive to lead by example. As the university continues to build momentum, we continuously reinvest in the success of our students and our region.
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