Caroline, Robert, and Doug are the first high school students to enroll in Middlesex Transition Academy, a cooperative educational program for students with intellectual disabilities.

Launched in September, the cooperative was designed to provide University employment to disabled students from Cromwell and Coginchaug high schools. By working in an academic environment, the students can better prepare for a successful transition from school to work when they turn 21 years old.

The Capitol Region Education Council (CREC) is a group that encourages and develops cooperative educational programs that improve the quality of public education. It is supported by local, state, federal and private funds and has helped coordinate the program at Wesleyan.

“The three priorities we really focus on are functional academics, work experience and social skills,” said Ann Mallin, Transition Coordinator of the CREC.

The program strives to meet the individual needs of each student. To accomplish this, the teacher, Nora Lydon, individualizes the program’s curriculum.

“It has been going wonderfully,” Lydon said. “We use a lot of multi-sensory tasks including visual, hands on and auditory activities. We focus on things like safety, health, vocational skills and banking. Our goal is to help students function individually or semi-individually in the community.”

The three students meet several times a week in a classroom on the third floor of the Campus Center, where they also have lunch and work at an on campus job.

Students from the Middlesex Transition Academy currently work at Freeman Athletic Center, Exley Science Center and MoCon. If more students wish to join the program, there are up to 12 different job sites available for them on campus.

“Caroline works at the science office in Exley with [Printing/Operations Assistant] Jennifer Platt,” Mallin said. “[At Freeman] she cleans the machinery, puts magazines back and things like that. Robert and Doug are ‘dish assistants’ at MoCon.”

University staff members have been very supportive of the program and openly welcomed the students at various job sites on campus.

As a result of the Transition Academy’s popularity, the University’s Center for Community Partnerships is planning a student mentor program, Best Buddies. In the Best Buddies system, students from Wesleyan will volunteer to work with kids from the Transition Academy. The program will be coordinated through the University Volunteer Office.

“We have enjoyed having students from the Middlesex Transition Academy on the campus of Wesleyan University,” said Frank Kuan, Director of Community Relations. “It has benefited both the students from the local school districts and our students and staff at Wesleyan.”

While the students enrolled through the Transition Academy, they are able to work on-campus through a program called Start on Success.

SOS is a national program that has been implemented at universities throughout Connecticut. It provides paid employment at job sites on college campuses to students with disabilities. Including the three on campus, 15 students from Cromwell and Regional School District #13 are participating in the SOS program in Connecticut.

The Transition Academy also organizes community excursions for Caroline, Doug and Robert, balancing their classroom curriculum with leisure activities.

“We take them to the post office, take them shopping, we even went to vote,” Lydon said. “We try to do things that involve lots of social interaction; social competence is really important for them.”

Because the Middlesex Transition Academy is in its first year, classes are small and students receive lots of individual attention. According to Mallin, the program hopes to eventually be able to work with up to 10 students during the academic year.

“If it weren’t for Wesleyan, we couldn’t be here,” Mallin said. “Wesleyan has been absolutely wonderful for us.”