Welcome to Family2Family Toolkit: A Springboard for Students and Families to Explore Postsecondary Education Options!
Welcome to Family2Family Toolkit: A Springboard for Students and Families to Explore Postsecondary Education Options! Are you ready to begin this adventure of discovery? The Family2Family Toolkit serves as a guide to the start of your process. As the title indicates, the Toolkit is a springboard, or a tool from which you can jump in order to gain more drive, motivation, or energy when you perform a specific action. In your case, your family’s action will be an investigation of postsecondary education options for your student! “Look closely at the present you are constructing; it should look like the future you are dreaming.” Alice Walker
Introduction to Family2Family Toolkit
As ideas for the Toolkit became a reality, it was important to everyone that this product had a friendly and relaxed feel, yet, provided valuable information to families and the students they support and encourage. The Florida Center for Students with Unique Abilities (FCSUA) has hosted several events attended by postsecondary education staff, agency personnel, high school staff and faculty, college and technical school staff and faculty, family members, and students with unique abilities/ ID. During these activities, FCSUA staff members listened to the needs and ideas offered by family members and program personnel. The Family2Family Toolkit is the product that resulted from family-related needs, comments, and thoughts.
Discovering--Family2Family Toolkit
This section introduces you to the Toolkit, along with the features you will find as you move through the product.
Learning--History and Background of Postsecondary Education
You will find out how postsecondary education programs began, along with the laws that help shape these efforts. Comprehensive Transition Programs are also described as well as programs in Florida.
Understanding--General information about Postsecondary Education Programs
In this section, you will read about how colleges’, universities’, and technical schools’ commitment to diversity and inclusion can impact students on campus, including students with unique abilities/intellectual disabilities. Program exit documents, including degrees, certificates, and a variety of credentials are described with examples of each type. Support structures that may increase the likelihood of success among students are presented and discussed.
Considering and Identifying--Choices
Students and families have opportunities to consider, rate, and discuss many different campus choices and options that may be available to students in postsecondary education programs. Among the variety of topics are Campus Climate, Housing, and Academic Support for students.
Defining--Roles as Family Members
In the final section, you will think about how your role as a family member has changed or will change after your student is enrolled in a postsecondary education program. You will reflect on the differences between high school and postsecondary education, ways of communicating with your students and the professionals with whom they interact. You will consider decision-making options, along with FERPA and HIPAA.
