Jan 31, 2022
Step Forward at Gateway: The only transition program at a community college
Episode 3: Stepping forward at Gateway Community College
In this episode we spoke with Jamie French, Director of the Step Forward Program at Gateway Community College in New Haven, Connecticut. Step Forward is a 10-month transition program for young adults with mild cognitive disabilities. During the interview, Jamie elaborated on the curriculum which she says focuses on interpersonal communication, daily living skills, executive function skills, college readiness, and workplace readiness. She emphasized the clique free diversity amongst students and even went so far as to say that it’s not unlikely to see both eighty somethings and high school students on campus!
During her tenure with the school, Jamie has seen hundreds of friendships develop within the program and she even saw one friendship blossom into love and then marriage. Students who move into Step Forward II take courses for college credit, and the expectations are higher said Jamie. When asked what myths she would debun…