Overview of program:
Think College Program is an individualized approach to inclusion in college for adult learners with significant disabilities. Based on best practices on inclusion in post secondary education, Manovikas Institute for Higher Education (MIHE) is the first college in India to open the doors to adult learners with more significant disabilities. The programme of MIHE are associated with Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). These are individuals who have either traditionally not been able to meet the standard admissions criteria for college or require additional supports in order to be successful in college.
The primary objective of the Think College Program is to serve individuals with disabilities on a college campus with peers without disabilities, giving them the opportunity to experience college life either at MIHE or at any other College. The program is strives to give students the complete college experience both academic and social inclusion, to the greatest degree possible. The program strives to fit the individual needs of each students, rather than having the students try to fit into a predetermined modules.
The Think College Program Coordinator facilitates student participation as an Educational Coach, and peer mentor relationships where Think College Program students are paired with undergraduate and graduate students in academic and social settings. This program is designed to meet multiple objectives for both students with and without disabilities. Students who serve as peer mentors gain mental first hand knowledge about people with disabilities on campus as part of their course requirements. Peers and classmates learn how the campus community serves as a microcosm for the community at large, with individuals with disabilities being woven into the fabric of our college culture.
The academic programmes ties the practicum experience to students majority in Bachelor’s Preparatory Programme, Bachelor of Arts or Social Work, Food Nutrition and Child Care, Performing Arts – Theatre Arts, Visual Arts – Painting and Applied Art, Information Technology, Guidance, Home Based Health Care, Business Skills, Tourism Studies, NGO Management, HIV and Family Education and Soft Skills.
Program Profile:
Model: as a pilot project in India Think Colleges will have two Models
- Manovikas Institute for Higher Education (MIHE) shall be the one of the first model inclusive college in India to open the doors to adult learners with more significant disabilities.
- Think College Program is to serve individuals with disabilities on other college campus with peers without disabilities.
Goals:
- Extends the college experience to individuals with disabilities who have traditionally been denied admitted to college.
- Provides students with basic qualification and skills to be eligible for college admission in regular, distance and open education.
- Provides students with skills to succeed as lifelong learners in MIHE.
- Provide on/off campus internship for students to gain employment.
- Provide students with opportunities to interact with peers in academic and students life activities.
- Provides undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to learn from individuals with disabilities in inclusive academic and social setting to evaluate, adapt and priorities curriculum in regular education classrooms in order to meet the needs of individuals with disability.
Eligibility criteria:
There is no any disability-specific criterion for admission regardless of their category and level of impairment. The learners can join the BPP Programme even without any schooling or basic qualification and further continue to Bachelor Degree and other Certificate and Diploma programme. The eligibility and academic requirements for the programme is specifically mentioned in the list of programme. Candidates are screened for their desire to attend college, and identified based on their potential to serve as good ambassadors of the program.
Average number of students served annually: 30-40 per year
