Adults with disabilities who want to experience the college life can now do so at Lone Star College-Kingwood. Including Stars, a new program started by Including Kids and the college, is a modified first year college experience course designed for learners with special needs.
Students will start with a basic college 101 class to introduce them to the campus, faculty, and staff. Here, they will discover learning style inventories, create an About Me portfolio, and learn how to maintain a bank register.
“The purpose of the program is to help people with disabilities have the college experience just like everyone else,” said Jennifer Dantzler, Including Kids executive director. “The college experience is a lot more than just academics and everyone deserves those experiences. Our goal is to create an inclusive community.”
Including Stars will take place March 18-May 20 on Wednesdays and Fridays from 1-2:45 p.m. It will be held in LSC-Kingwood’s Classroom Building A (CLA) room 111. Including Kids will develop the curriculum for the inaugural class but eventually, it will migrate into the Lone Star College course inventory.
“We are excited to pioneer this important program for an underserved population,” said Devon Alexander, continuing education director at LSC-Kingwood. “Vocational training is offered through other community organizations, but we wanted to provide an academic option for students who are interested in attending college.”
Including Stars can accommodate 12 students at a time. The curriculum is designed for learners of different abilities. The goal is to offer functional-based projects that will allow students to leave with finished products they can use in different endeavors such as job interviews or future college classes.
“We hope to help students, who might not otherwise be on a college campus, experience it and decide if it is an experience of which they want more,” Dantzler said. “Our goal is to help other people at LSC-Kingwood see the value our students can bring to the community.”
Tuition is $212 and students may bring assistants for behavioral support. There is no designated area for behavioral de-escalation, so challenging behaviors have to be handled in a mainstream setting. Pass or fail certificates from the Lone Star Continuing Education department will be issued to every student. For more information, call 281-312-1660 or email
Register now for credit classes online through myLoneStar. Classes are offered days, evenings, or weekends in traditional, Internet, video, TV and independent study formats. For more information on how to register online, visitwww.lonestar.edu/registration.
For general information about Lone Star College-Kingwood, call 281.312.1600 or visithttp://lonestar.edu/kingwood.htm.
Lone Star College System has been opening doors to a better community for 40 years. Founded in 1973, LSCS remains steadfast in its commitment to student success and credential completion. Today, with 78,000 students in credit classes, and a total enrollment of more than 90,000, Lone Star College System is the largest institution of higher education in the Houston area and the fastest-growing community college system in the nation. Dr. Stephen C. Head is the chancellor of LSCS, which consists of six colleges including LSC-CyFair, LSC-Kingwood, LSC-Montgomery, LSC-North Harris, LSC-Tomball and LSC-University Park, five centers, LSC-University Center at Montgomery, LSC-University Center at University Park, Lone Star Corporate College, and LSC-Online. To learn more visit LoneStar.edu.
