Georgia College launches initiative providing two-year college program for adults with disabilities

Georgia College and State University has launched a two-year college program for adults with disabilities called the GCSU Thrive Initiative. The program provides individuals with intellectual disabilities the chance to achieve their dreams of obtaining a college degree.

February 15, 2023

Brick Nelson,

MILLEDGEVILLE, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Georgia College and State University has launched a two-year college program for adults with disabilities called the GCSU Thrive Initiative. The program provides individuals with intellectual disabilities the chance to achieve their dreams of obtaining a college degree.

“We’ve come so full circle that we’re taking the same people that used to maybe be written off or maybe marginalized, and we’re putting them in college where they can work and get job skills, where they can take courses that they would have never been able to take before and hopefully affect their lives,”associate professor of special education Dr. Rob Sumowski said.

The GCSU Thrive Initiative allows students to take up to eight college courses and engage in internships with other Georgia College students to help them academically and socially.

“They will take two Georgia College courses each semester,” interim dean of special education Dr. Nicole DeClouette said. “They will also engage in internships. We hope that they will develop the skills that they will be able to take with them wherever they go after they leave the program.”

Dr. DeClouette said the main goal of the program is to give these individuals the ability to achieve their dreams.

“It means so much to them because they’re doing academics, they’re doing social activities, they’re meeting a lot of people, they’re going to learn a lot of job skills through the internship. And we hope, that’s our goal, that they become employable when they graduate.”

The GCSU Thrive Initiative has two students in the program right now, but the university is looking to expand the program in the near future.