...FOR STUDENTS ENTERING POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION

Designed for students with learning disabilities who have graduated from secondary school and are in transition to post-secondary education, several college and universities in Ontario offer summer transition programs to help students learn skills such as time management, self-advocacy skills, learning strategies, stress management and career planning. These programs are made possible through the partnership of the Learning Opportunities Task Force (LOTF) and the participating college or university.

While these summer programs are quite diverse in length, location and program content, they are available only to students with specific learning disabilities who have documentation to prove the existence of their disability and who are entering post-secondary education. Students are not required to have formal acceptance to a college or university to apply for or participate in any of these programs, but they must have submitted an application.

Each of the summer transition programs is managed separately and interested students should apply to the program of their choice by contacting the institution where the program is offered.

HYPE! @ McMaster - August 3 to 6, 2010

What’s all the HYPE! about?

HYPE! (Helping You Personalize Education) is a FREE, four-day summer transition program which is designed to help students with disabilities make a smooth transition to university this fall. The goal of HYPE! is to prepare students for post-secondary education by providing them with academic strategies and personal development skills which will be presented during various workshops and seminars. Topics that will be covered include effective reading and writing strategies, financial aid, time management, lecture skills, stress/anxiety management, disability services and self-awareness. As well, students will be able to experience a taste of university life as they stay in residence (with meals provided) and take part in many fun on- and off-campus activities such as the McMaster ALTITUDE tower, the planetarium and much, much more!

HYPE!@McMaster is designed and facilitated by upper year McMaster students under the guidance of staff from the Centre for Student Development. The integration of professional knowledge from qualified disability specialists and personal experiences from current students has resulted in the development of a unique, interactive and fun transition program. For more information and to register, please visit http://csd.mcmaster.ca/hype or email us at lrn2lrn@mcmaster.ca.

Due to limited space in the program, registration closes July 16th, 2010.

Project ADVANCE is offered at York University and is a six-week summer program to prepare high school students with specific learning disabilities for the challenges of university. At Project ADVANCE, students with learning disabilities increase their awareness of the challenges of university and of the skills required for success.

For more information, please consult the York University website at http://www.yorku.ca/cdc/ldp/projectadvance.html

Online to Success is a transition program being coordinated by Queen’s University in Kingston and Loyalist College in Belleville with the assistance of the Learning Disabilities Association of Ontario. The program involves a series of on-line Modules aimed at providing the student with the tools they need to cope, learn and self-advocate in the new learning environments of post-secondary studies. Available to students able to demonstrate a learning disability, the on-line nature of the program means it is available to any students in Ontario and allows them to work mainly from home. The course does involve an introductory and conclusory session on-site. For more information, call 613-533-6000 ex. 75821 or e-mail 9kk3@qlink.queensu.ca