Yavapai College serves the needs of rural and isolated small urban populations in Yavapai County, Arizona. The college is well underway toward completing its ADA self-evaluation goals for physical barrier removal. A corresponding effort, however, has not taken place to address access to instructional materials in appropriate forms, educational technology, alternative delivery methodologies and access to laboratory and field experiences.
The goal of this project is to increase the number of rural disabled students successfully pursuing SMET careers. An advisory committee will provide oversight and project direction to actualize the following objective: To develop a model program that creates an inviting rural community college environment responsive to the needs of students with disabilities. The Open Door Project will: 1. Assign a SMET disabilities curriculum coordinator to research, gather, and maintain a specific set of alternative curricular materials and strategies for all gateway math and science courses that use current best practices of adaptation, accommodation, and assistive technology. 2. Train disabilities Master Teachers in all SMET curricular areas who will conduct disabilities awareness and alternative strategies training at the SMET department level. The problem of adjunct faculty inclusion will be addressed by specific training at orientation, access to intranet resources, and assignment of a disabilities mentor from the full-time SMET faculty. 3. Develop ways for students to have a SMET "hands-on" experience by creating innovative ways to assimilate students with disabilities into ongoing research, field and laboratory activities and to facilitate student interface with working SMET professionals in local and regional high tech businesses. This activity will include development of a SMET Summer Camp for students with disabilities.
The Open Door Project will also work to increase the number of disabled high school students, veterans, women re-entering the workforce and Native Americans with SMET career expectations. This will be accomplished by using the countywide outreach activity of existing TRIO and Transition programs to encourage interest in SMET careers among disabled students. In addition, these outreach groups, staff development activities, and stipends for participation in summer programs, will be used to raise the awareness of high school and college career counselors and faculty. This will increase their competency to address the needs of students with disabilities and promote existing Yavapai College Foundation scholarships for disabled and SMET students as well as SMET summer camps.
The Open Door Capacity Building Project will raise the visibility and attractiveness of SMET careers for disabled students by creating a program specifically designed to capture their imaginations and provide a responsive community college experience that articulates into a SMET career or advanced degree. The long-range post-project goal is to use Yavapai College's unique field sites and on-campus dorm capacity to create a regional SMET magnet school for students with disabilities.
