MINNESOTA INDEPENDENCE COLLEGE AND COMMUNITY
7501 Logan Ave S No 2A, Richfield, MN 55423 www.miccommunity.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: Every day we work to transform the lives of individuals & families affected by the autism spectrum & learning differences. Our students & graduates achieve sustained independent living, rewarding employment, financial security, personal growth, & responsible citizenship.

To transform lives of families & individuals affected by the autism spectrum & learning differences.

Minnesota Independence College and Community (MICC) College Program teaches the core skills that we believe are essential to live independently within a community. We provide instruction and support on independent living skills, employment skills and social skills, using a holistic, strength-based model of education. In 2019-20, the College program served individuals who have learning differences or Autism Spectrum Disorders plus their immediate and extended families.For the past 24 years, MICC has been perfecting an extremely effective model of transition into adulthood for the individuals that we serve. The College Program students live in apartments on our campus, which allow instructors to teach independent living skills in the type of environment that our students will transition to upon graduation from the program. The skills we teach range from basic cooking, cleaning and organization to budgeting, medication management, transportation and roommate dynamics. Our goal is to ensure that our College Program students are fully prepared to live independently after graduation from our program. This year, the College Program moved to a distance learning platform in March due to COVID-19 concerns until the end of the school year. MICC offered 80% of our usual in person courses, socials, and electives. Within the College Program, MICC offers the opportunity to make a greater impact in the community by offering summer programs to high school and transition age individuals with learning differences and Autism Spectrum Disorders. The programs are an opportunity for students to work on skills similar to the College Program, but in a limited time frame. We provide an apartment living experience that includes skill building in the areas of cooking, cleaning, and transportation. We also provide work exposures to our participants via our corporate partnerships in the community. MICC knows that summer programs and post-secondary options are crucial for individuals with learning differences and Autism Spectrum Disorders in order for them to further their education and transitional success.

The Community Program is a lifelong support program designed for individuals with learning differences and Autism Spectrum Disorders who have successfully completed the College Program. Participants live independently in their own apartment or home, use public transportation, and are employed competitively in the community. The Community Program provides ongoing social programming and person-centered independent living supports to help partic in 2005, this program has had a steady increase in participants. The Community Program is currently serving 80 adults, plus their immediate and extended families, and we anticipate continued growth with each new graduating class. This year, the Community Program added virtual programming platforms in March due to COVID-19 concerns. 91% of participants are currently living independently in their own residence with 9% opting to return soon, once their jobs resume.

The ability to live and work independently is the heart of our program. The Careers Program assists participants through an individualized person-centered approach to obtain access to vocational services, supports and resources of their choice to achieve their desired outcomes. We help students develop the skills that are necessary to complete the job search process, obtain employment and demonstrate the behaviors that will help them get and maintain employment. Career exploration results are combined with job development services to help students find the best employment fit for their skills, abilities and interests. Careers services were moved to virtual meetings and phone calls with participants and employers in March for job placement and retention services as we navigating the changes to the labor market. Additional supports were offered for applying and maintaining unemployment benefits, workshops for those who were furloughed to stay connected, and summer courses to learn new skills.The Skills Training Program is an additional component of our Careers Program that is endorsed by Century College. There are four choices for training: Retail, Culinary, Hospitality and Health Services. It is a training program that has two parts: an in-class learning portion and a practicum portion that takes place in the community. The skills training program assists a person prepare for seeking employment to acquire the skills necessary to obtain and maintain employment. Topics addressed in Careers courses are job research, work behaviors, developing professional references, cover letters, completing applications, interviewing, disability and the workplace (ADA), work skills/abilities and interests, job search process, employment paperwork and worksite safety. The programs are designed to meet the workforce needs identified by employers within industry sectors. Local employers understand the positive impact the real world experience can provide and the on-site instructors provided by MICC help our students interpret their real work experiences in real time. We measure our success by the number of participants who are employed and live independently in the community. At the end of the 2019-20 Program Year, 79% of eligible College Students and Community Members receiving Careers services worked in the community.

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