New at ICI

The Institute for Community Inclusion has received a $100,000 gift from Dr. Stelios Gragoudas, a youth leadership advocate and former staffer who said he hopes the funds can support transition specialist training and student self-determination…

Five Institute for Community Inclusion (ICI) staff have published articles in the latest Impact, Feature Issue on Employment and IDD by the Institute on Community Integration at the University of Minnesota. The Institute on Community Integration…

This spring, the Institute for Community Inclusion’s (ICI) Leslie Quarles from the Missouri Employment First team was featured on an episode of the Mentor Moments podcast, Take a Deeper Dive into Employment First and Initiatives Supporting its…

Alternatives to guardianship (A2G) can help youth with intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD) get support when making decisions. The Center on Youth Voice, Youth Choice (CYVYC) Alternatives to Guardianship (A2G) interactive map shares key…

A group of Institute for Community Inclusion and Think College researchers recently co-authored a chapter about postsecondary education for the second edition of the Handbook of Research-Based Practices for Educating Students with Intellectual…

New research from the Institute for Community Inclusion analyzed how data-enabled feedback and micro-lessons embedded in the workflow can be an important part of organizational management and quality improvement for employment consultants. In an…

Learn New Skills and Earn CRC Credits with this Free, 10-Week IT'S EMPLOYMENT Intensive Course ExploreVR’s IT’S EMPLOYMENT supports employment services and outcomes for people with intellectual disabilities across the US. Each year, we offer one free…

Dr. John Butterworth, Institute for Community Inclusion’s (ICI) recently retired Senior Research Fellow and Director of Employment Systems Change and Evaluation, has received the prestigious George S. Jesien Distinguished Achievement Award from the…

With great sorrow, we share with you the news that Psychiatrist Emeritus Dr. Ludwik Stefan Szymanski passed away peacefully in his home at the age of 92 on November 22, 2024. Dr. Szymanski was a cofounder of the Developmental Evaluation Clinic (DEC…

Several Think College team members travelled to Baltimore, MD for three events in mid-July. First, they hosted the annual TPSID Project Director Meeting, which kicked off with a beautiful tribute video to Debra Hart compiled by Chelsea Stinnett. The…

Community life engagement (CLE) refers to people accessing and participating in their communities outside of employment as part of a meaningful life. Explore CLE is the ICI’s new hub for activities that enhance systems and services that support…

We are honored to announce that Jean Winsor, ICI Senior Research Associate and Project Manager, has received the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD) Public Policy Award for her outstanding contributions to the…

PRESS RELEASE For immediate release: January 10, 2024 BOSTON, MA – The Institute for Community Inclusion (ICI) at the University of Massachusetts (UMass) Boston, in collaboration with the International Disability Alliance (IDA) and the African…

With great sadness, we share with you the news that Debra Hart passed away unexpectedly on Tuesday, December 12. Throughout her career, Debra was passionate about the full inclusion of people with disabilities in their community. She led the…

ICI is one of 17 University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDDs) to receive a new 5-year award from the Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Community Living (ACL). Each UCEDD is part of a national…

Congratulations to Sheila Fesko! Dr. Fesko has served in many roles at the Institute for Community Inclusion (ICI), and most recently, as Associate Dean and Director of the School of Global Inclusion and Social Development (SGISD). This June, Sheila…

Kamisha Heriveaux is an advisory board member on ICI’s Center on Youth Voice, Youth Choice project, and a researcher on ICI’s Guardianship Alternatives and Transfer-of-Rights project. This blog was originally posted on Harvard Law School Project on…

Many ICI and SGISD staff presented this month at the National Association of People Supporting Employment First (APSE) Conference in Columbus, Ohio from June 12–15. The theme of this year’s APSE conference was Creating Connections. ICI’s Amy Gessert…

Clara S. Muchunguzi is a 2023 Fellow in the Professional Fellows Program on Inclusive Civic Engagement. This program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and is administered by the Institute for…

Earlier this June, researchers, policymakers, advocates, and practitioners convened in Pittsburgh for the 147th annual American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD) Conference. ICI staffers Alberto Migliore, Staci Jones…