For the past 10 years, InclusiveU in Syracuse University’s School of Education (SOE) has given students with intellectual and developmental disabilities a college experience in a fully inclusive setting.
On Thursday, April 4, family, friends and supporters of the program will gather in downtown Syracuse to celebrate the program, the largest and most inclusive program of its kind in the nation. Among the scheduled speakers at the anniversary gala are Syracuse University Chancellor and President Kent Syverud; State Sen. Rachel May (D-48); Captain Robert P. Taishoff ’86, JAGC, USN (Ret.), benefactor of the Lawrence B. Taishoff Center for Inclusive Higher Education; and Beth Myers, Lawrence B. Taishoff Associate Professor of Inclusive Education and executive director of the Taishoff Center in the School of Education.
Andrew Benbenek at Syracuse Welcome 2017
Founded in 2014, InclusiveU offers real opportunities for students with disabilities to participate in every aspect of Syracuse University campus life. Students take University classes, participate in internships on and off campus—and as far away as Los Angeles—join in sporting and social events, and advocate for themselves in Albany, New York and Washington, D.C. Currently, the program hosts more than 100 students with intellectual or developmental disabilities from across the country.
InclusiveU and the Taishoff Center are both part of the School of Education’s Center on Disability and Inclusion (CDI). Together, CDI programs and initiatives demonstrate SOE’s global leadership and rich history in disability and inclusion.
Sharing anniversaries with InclusiveU in 2024 are SOE’s first-in-the-nation Disability Studies program (1994) and “Literacy, Inclusion, and Diversity in Italy” (1984), a summer study abroad program that invites students to immerse themselves in Italy’s inclusive schooling.
“It’s hard to believe that we have reached our 10th year of serving students at Syracuse University through InclusiveU,” says Myers. “The milestones of our program—students in campus residence halls, InclusiveU Remembrance Scholars and Unsung Heroes, and full participation in all that our campus has to offer—remind us of the ways our program continues to make a profound impact in our community.”
Chloe Payne, left and a friend attend a game in the JMA Dome
Inclusion initiatives, such as dual enrollment with the Syracuse City School District and partnership with a community agency, predated the establishment of InclusiveU in 2014 but did not provide a fully integrated campus experience. Receipt of a federal grant got the program off the ground, and it started with 14 students. “We started our internship program, and a few years later were able to have students live in residence halls and really build out pieces of the program,” says InclusiveU Director Brianna Shults.
Since its establishment, more than 320 students have accessed nearly 300 classes based on interest across most of the University’s colleges and schools. The last year of the four-year program is focused on internships and employment, building skills and connecting theory they learned at in the classroom and applying it to their resumes. Beyond the necessary skills, the program helps to instill confidence in students as they prepare for careers beyond college. Students receive a certificate upon completion of the program.
In addition to classes, students are fully immersed in the social life of the University. While students have a mentor to help with class needs and facilitation, social interaction happens organically through peers. “Socially, the Peer-2-Peer program is the piece that many students access,” says Shults. InclusiveU and matriculated students connect for whatever events are on campus. A lot of this is natural support.” Students attend Orange After Dark activities, speakers, athletic events and holiday events such as Diwali. “This happens through natural peer support that every other student can access on campus,” Shults says.
Bobby Pangborn, center, celebrates his graduation with his parents
And this interaction is good not just for the InclusiveU students, says Shults. “Having our students around makes their peers better friends, better employees down the road, better neighbors,” Shults days. “It makes them better people all around because our students are here and they are all working together.”
Andrew Benbenek ’21 enrolled in InclusiveU after graduating from Bishop Grimes High School in East Syracuse. He was the first InclusiveU student to access classes in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and was the second InclusiveU student named as a Remembrance Scholar, one of the University’s highest student honors. He was involved in lots of activities on campus including OttoTHON and Camp Kesem.
“Syracuse was where I had wanted to be since I was a kid,” Benbenek says. Peers helped him to get involved. He joined Z-89 and Citrus TV, which he says “is a big part of how I got to where I am. Once I joined, felt like this could be a career for me.” He also did a full-year internship in the Newhouse Sports Media Center with Professor Olivia Stomski.
Benbenek now works for Galaxy Communications as a board operator for SU games. “InclusiveU gave me the knowledge I needed to be successful and helped me discover what I really wanted to do,” he says.
Chloe Payne ’22, studied human development and family science and now works at Little Luke’s Daycare and Preschool in DeWitt. During her time at Syracuse, Payne immersed herself in her classes and campus life, including becoming a member of a belly dancing troupe. InclusiveU was the best thing I have ever done,” she says.
Bobby Pangborn ’20, graduated from Nottingham High School in Syracuse and studied drama through InclusiveU. He has brought his skills to many local productions through the years for both the Redhouse and Front Row Players and will play Sir Robin in a local production of “Spamalot” in late June. He also participates in Special Olympics, where he has won several medals downhill in skiing events.
Pangborn interned at the Whitman School of Management during his time with InclusiveU, and now works there full-time as an assistant In the mailroom, Pangborn does the jobs that people don’t see but that are critical to the smooth function of the school’s operations. He completes copy jobs, sorts and distributes mail, distributes student paychecks, sends package notifications and makes sure that supplies are stocked, organized and labeled. He is also a mentor for student employees.
“As an alumni, Bobby has been active in participating in various conference panels and employment events to share his experience while he was on campus and how that helped to shape what he is doing now that he has graduated,” says Shults.
When InclusiveU first started, there were about 30 post-secondary programs across the country—now there are little more than 300. And while that number seems large, it’s still pretty small, Shults says. “There are a lot of students who want to access education beyond high school. We are seen as a model, trying to support other programs at other schools starting to do what we are doing. It’s important that students have a choice and are able to pick the program that is best for them,” she says.
“There is such a rich history of disability work here at Syracuse University,” says Shults. “The fact that InclusiveU is here and is seen as a leader is really important in being able to push this work forward and in being thoughtful and innovative with what we are doing. … This is the first generation of students with disabilities to go to college and have this opportunity, and having this program here in Syracuse is a really big deal.”
