Career Independent Living and Learning Studies

Program Studies Overview

Career, Independent Living & Learning Studies (CILLS) is a program sponsored by East Stroudsburg University that is designed to provide individuals with intellectual disabilities with a learning experience in a campus environment where life and work skills are accelerated by daily encouragement in the life of a university. The program includes living off campus and acquiring proficiency to function among others without disabilities on campus. In addition, the program provides personal development activities combined with classes designed to develop essential skills for independent living and future employment.

The Career, Independent Living & Learning Studies (CILLS) program will help young adults with intellectual disabilities prepare to lead productive lives in their communities. We believe that everyone has the right to enhance their learning and realize their personal potential through higher education. The CILLS program supports students with intellectual disabilities to have a high quality learning experience within a university setting to foster learning, establish friendships, build self-confidence and work toward achieving their goals to work and live in an inclusive community. We will set a high standard for excellence in providing individuals with intellectual disabilities a positive living and learning experience.

The program participants will be involved in learning experiences designed to meet specific individual needs, traditional opportunities of interest that are available to all students at the university, and an internship that will provide them with practical work and community experiences. This includes living in off campus housing and learning to function among their peers without disabilities on campus. In essence, the program activities will include personal development situations combined with opportunities to develop essential skills for independent living and future employment. The CILLS program promotes self-advocacy and will utilize mentors and peer supports to accommodate the different learning abilities of participates in all learning domains.

This program is a non-degree certificate program that will operate on a three year cycle. The learning experiences will be instructed by the Coordinator of the program with oversight by Domenico Cavaiuolo, faculty in the Department of Special Education and Rehabilitation. The following will provide a general overview of the learning domains that the CILL’s program will offer.