The RESTORE (Research, Education, Service, Transition and Outreach through Reflective Engagement) Hub at Arkansas State University, spearheaded by Executive Director Dr. Kristin N. Johnson, an established principal investigator and A-State faculty member in the College of Education and Behavioral Science, will lead the new initiatives.
The Consortium for Inclusive Postsecondary Education and Transition (CIPET) will be the coordinating center for IPSE programs statewide.
"This initiative represents a timely and transformative response to one of the most significant gaps in services. Students with intellectual and developmental disabilities remain among the most underserved populations, and the consortium model is purposefully designed to close that gap. We are breaking barriers and building futures. This consortium is transforming education for students with IDD because inclusion isn’t optional, it’s essential," Dr. Johnson said.
Through partnerships with the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB) and Arkansas State University-Mountain Home, the Restore Hub will launch a statewide initiative that expands access, strengthens institutional capacity, and increases workforce efforts at every level by building an IPSE program at each location.
The consortium composed of A-State, UAPB, and ASU-Mountain Home is uniquely resourced to launch and sustain a multi-site IPSE initiative across urban, rural and underrepresented communities in Arkansas. Each institution contributes distinctive assets such as academic programs, faculty expertise, facilities, personnel and community partnerships that, when leveraged collectively, form a robust foundation for implementation, scale and sustainability.
A-State brings leadership strength, a research-driven approach, and a deeply resourced academic infrastructure. As the home of the existing H.O.W.L. Transition Program, A-State provides an experienced model. Through its research designation, A-State will anchor consortium-wide data evaluation, personnel development and professional learning, while also serving as the technical assistance hub for regional IPSE sites.
CIPET is grounded in the belief that every student, regardless of ability, deserves access to high-quality, inclusive postsecondary experiences that are both meaningful and measurable.
"Together, we’re building a model that’s not only inclusive and evidence-based but also responsive to the unique needs of our students and communities," said Johnson. "Aligning academic programming, social support, accessibility services, and workforce connections across three strategically located campuses, the consortium offers a comprehensive, scalable and sustainable framework for inclusive post-secondary education in Arkansas and, in the future, the nation."
These resources will not only support program implementation but also transform the educational and employment landscape for young adults with disabilities across urban, rural and marginalized communities. CIPET will provide technical assistance for all comprehensive transition and postsecondary programs, lead data collection and evaluation, and disseminate resources to enhance the capacity and sustainability for grantees of transition and postsecondary programs for students with intellectual disabilities (TPSID) grants statewide.
“ASUMH provides a wide array of educational opportunities to people in the communities we serve. Through this grant and our partnership with A-State- Jonesboro, we will now be able to offer enhanced services and programming to adults with learning differences, leading to gains in life skills, industry-recognized credentials, certificates, degrees, and gainful employment,” said ASU-Mountain Home Chancellor Bentley Wallace.
“Launching an IPSE program in the School of Education at UAPB is both deeply personal and profoundly meaningful. It reflects our unwavering promise to the Delta and the Pine Bluff community to ensure that every individual, regardless of ability, has access to transformative educational opportunities close to home," said UAPB School of Education Dean Kimberley Davis-Hunt. “This milestone is especially significant because it is the result of more than two years of intentional collaboration with Arkansas State University, whose successful program has served as both a model and an inspiration "Together, we have turned vision into reality, creating a pathway that affirms dignity, expands opportunity and reimagines what’s possible for students and families in our region. I am honored that UAPB will now serve as a beacon of inclusive excellence, strengthening the communities we are called to serve.”
"The Consortium for Inclusive Postsecondary Education and Transition program is so exciting because it provides the opportunity for A-State’s RESTORE Hub to partner with other universities in Arkansas to create a statewide model for post-secondary education for young adults with disabilities. The RESTORE Hub researches best approaches to provide support and education to adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and receiving this funding from the U.S. Department of Education provides the opportunity to make meaningful impact here in Arkansas. This was a very competitive grant cycle, and I’m very proud of Dr. Kristin Johnson and her team for submitting a quality proposal that was funded, so that they can continue their important work in Arkansas,” said Vice Provost for Research, Innovation, and Discovery and Executive Director of the Arkansas Biosciences Institute Dr. Travis Marsico.
The RESTORE Hub at A-State is a social and behavioral sciences research institute specializing in research, problem-solving, and implementation science. It strives to improve the quality of life for all communities through research, education, services, innovation and collaboration.
