BGSU Firelands hires director for inclusive program

HURON TWP. — The director of a new BGSU Firelands program is ready to hit the ground running.Kyle Closen was recently hired to lead the Clark Inclusive Scholars program for people with intellectual disabilities. The two-year certificate program for people ages 18-26 years old was approved by Bowling Green State University trustees last fall and established through a large donation from Jacquelyn and David Clark, former executives of n2y, a printing and publishing company for special education curriculum.In the program, students will spend about 20 hours, or more, on BGSU Firelands' campus attending classes; gaining work experience; receiving individualized instruction and support; socializing with peers and becoming active in campus activities.Closen previously worked as a transition coordinator at Lorain High School, helping students with disabilities transition from high school to life afterward. He has a master's degree from Kent State University and a bachelor's degree from the College of Wooster.Residents interested in joining the program at BGSU Firelands can contact Closen at kclosen@bgsu.edu or call 419-372-0613. The deadline to apply is Aug. 19, a week before classes start this fall on Aug. 26.The Register sat down with Closen to receive a detailed look at the new program.Q: What's the admission process for the Clark Inclusive Scholars program?KC: Students complete an application for the program, submit documentation of their disability, their high school transcript and transcripts from any college or post-secondary training program, high school diploma, two letters of references from non-family members, samples of school assignments they completed and an essay about why they want to go to college. They can submit a powerpoint for the essay portion, too. We'll have the student come on campus for an interview and talk to the family to make sure we're on the same page. Students will have a student ID like a BGSU Firelands student. Going forward, we want to alert students of their admission by April or May so families know what their student can do next year.Q: What kinds of classes can students take in the program?KC: For each student, it can be different. In the educational world for students with disabilities, we like person-centered planning. Each student will take similar classes. In the fall, students will be taking career planning, an introduction to college course and two other similar courses (for credit) with BGSU Firelands students. Curriculum may be modified, depending on the student. There are no classes that are just for the Clark scholars. A seminar in the first semester is a meeting time as a group, so some students may need help in the classroom or with college life, but it's not for credit. They can also take electives that don't require a prerequisite on the BGSU Firelands campus. They'll also get work-based learning experiences in their second year. The end goal is them after two years is getting a job they're interested in.Q: What short- and long-term goals do you have for the program?KC: Short-term, I'm looking at this fall. I have three interested students now and I hope to have six. The nice thing about this fall is we've had a couple of donors come in and the first year is completely free for the students. I'm hoping as more teachers and administrators come back, they'll have more students available. But after this year, the tuition is going to be about $1,000 each year, including classes and everything. Long-term, I'm hoping to have 10 students per year with a maximum of 20 students in the program at one time. I also want to integrate the community, so when students go out, they can have internships to go to a couple of hours a week and see how things run.Q: Why should families consider this program for their students?KC: When I was in the high school environment, parents were always looking for something to prepare their child for life after high school. I think this (program) is a great place for students to get the experience they need to prepare themselves for that life they want. My goal is to have students leave here and work at a job they're going to do for a long time and also have students that will take classes for credit that maybe they needed this two-year gap to get back into an associate degree or certificate program at a different college. I want them to gain a lot of skills outside of the classroom — the social skills, learning how to work with others, gaining new friends.Reach reporter Caitlin Nearhood at nearhood@sanduskyregister.com, follow her on Twitter @CaitlinNearhood and on Facebook.com/CaitliNearhoodKyle Closen is the director of the Clark Inclusive Scholars program at BGSU Firelands. This room near the library at BGSU Firelands will serve as a meeting place and classroom where Closen will teach classes in the Clark Inclusive Scholars program. David and Jacquelyn Clark are pictured with BGSU Firelands Dean Andy Kurtz at Bowling Green State University's board of trustees meeting, where their program, the Clark Inclusive Scholars program, was approved for BGSU's regional campus.