LifePrep@Naz students are an integral part of the Nazareth College community and they are showing their resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic. The LifePrep@Naz program has moved online, mirroring the move to distance learning that our matriculated Naz students are experiencing. LifePrep students are continuing their learning virtually with a daily Zoom meeting with LifePrep teacher Melyssa Mantell, who is a Victor Central School District teacher and an adjunct professor in Nazareth's School of Education.
Created through the collaborative relationship among Nazareth College, Victor Central School District, and The Arc of Monroe County, LifePrep@Naz is an innovative program designed to provide individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities with a college experience.
Each weekday morning, Mantell gathers the LifePrep students via Zoom for an hour beginning at 9 a.m. and then again via a recorded video lesson from 10:30 a.m. - noon. The students are able to continue their usual routine of their morning meeting, review the prior lesson, and then ask questions to her. There is an assignment given every day, which provides learning, structure, and consistent check-ins with the students.
This successful pivot is important because disruptions due to the pandemic are magnified for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). They can experience higher rates of anxiety and depression, and have a higher chance of losing the life skills they've worked hard to achieve.
Mantell says LifePrep@Naz is going strong. "The students tell me that the Zoom meeting in the morning is the highlight of their day. Students are doing their homework and are even taking notes from the Moodle (class learning software) class. They are doing well!"
The LifePrep completion ceremony is postponed and will be rescheduled once Nazareth sets a new date for its commencement.
Nazareth University is an inclusive community of inspired learners, educators, and changemakers who for nearly 100 years have been driven by a bold commitment to action, empathy, equity, and leading innovation for the common good. Impact experiences are at the heart of a Nazareth education, preparing each student to discover within themselves the potential to cultivate positive change in their life's work, in any career field, and in a world that is constantly evolving and infinitely interconnected.
Our broad academic offerings present a range of study options typical of larger universities, yet achieved in our supportive campus culture. Nearly 2,100 undergrad and 600 graduate students enroll in degree and certificate programs and engage in collaborative, transformative learning experiences, preparing for the professions and society of today and tomorrow. In a learning community that purposefully integrates liberal arts and professional programs, Nazareth University graduates are able to launch a lifetime of impactful leadership in communities and workplaces near and far.