PRIDE Academy at Pierpont Community and Technical College hosts successful fall festival
The PRIDE Academy is a resource for individuals with intellectual disabilities to gain postsecondary transition support and earn vocational certificates.
On Halloween, the PRIDE Academy (Pierpont Rapid Intellectual Disabilities Education) held a fall festival for its students and for all Pierpont students to attend. The festival was intended to give students in the PRIDE Academy the opportunity to see what it was like to throw a party as well as to be able to interact with members of the larger campus community.
According to an article on Pierpont Community and Technical College's website, Darin Walker, who is the director of the PRIDE Academy, discussed what went into preparations for the party, and how the students were involved, saying, “We went over how to host parties, rather than just go to a party, which is a big difference. Then after, they will have to clean up, which isn’t fun but is necessary. Setting up a party and planning a dinner are all life skills, all of which revolve around our teaching curriculum.”
Michelle Graham, PRIDE Academy instructor, added, “We’ve made lists of things we needed to get and prepare for the day of the party and how we can ensure everybody had a good time when they came to visit us today.”
The Academy students were able to interact with students outside of their smaller Academy population, which was another positive part of the event. Walker noted that it was important for the students to see that it isn’t scary to interact with other people who may not be on the spectrum or have Down syndrome. Along with this, the Academy as a whole is a meaningful opportunity for students who may not have otherwise been able to attend postsecondary education or get to interact with other students on a college campus.
Walker added, “If you sit and talk to any of these kids, they are all so excited to come to Pierpont and so proud of going to college. Most of them have gotten Pierpont shirts, and I will see them out in public wearing them, and they are as proud of that as anyone going to any university anywhere. Most of these students and their parents never thought this was possible.”
The Fall Festival included themed games and treats.
For more information about Pierpont Community and Technical College, visit the school’s website.