Kendall Campus Launches Certificate Program For Neurodivergent Students
Last August, Miami-Dade County District 7 Commissioner Raquel Regalado came to Kendall Campus with a proposal.
Regalado, who has two children with autism, wanted the College to create an initiative to help students with neurodivergent conditions—such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, dyslexia and Tourette’s syndrome—receive access to collegiate education and employment opportunities.
Less than a year later, her dream has come to fruition.
On June 19, Kendall Campus launched the Kendall Learning Academy, a 20-credit certificate program that helps neurodivergent students acquire training in the field of business intelligence and obtain employment.
The year-long program is the College’s first cohort tailored toward neurodivergent students, according to Board of Trustees member Marcell Felipe.
“This [opportunity] is a two-way street. For these kids, it gives them the sense of normalcy, of recognition,” said Felipe, who has a son with nonverbal autism. “But it’s also great for society because these are talents that we have failed to use and that we can certainly harness for the greater good.”
ACCESS: A Comprehensive Center for Exceptional Student Services at Kendall Campus began promoting the program four months ago through virtual and in-person information sessions at high schools such as G. Holmes Braddock Senior High School and Killian Senior High School.
Interested students attended an in-person interview with Kendall Campus ACCESS Director Mercy Macrina and assistant director Genesis Aguilar.
Once the program’s inaugural class of 15 was recruited, a student-parent orientation was held.
Students in the program will learn how to analyze, store and retrieve data, using systems such as Microsoft’s Structured Query Language—a database communication coding language—and Power BI, a software service used to present data in dashboards, graphs and reports.
They will also undergo mock job interviews, learn how to create a resume and have the opportunity to participate in a paid internship at a local business, coordinated through Regalado’s office.
Professors for the program were selected with help from the School of Engineering and Technology at Kendall Campus.
To facilitate the learning process, ACCESS will provide academic accommodations like extra time on exams, lecture recordings, sign language interpreters and scribes. The School of Education will also help by providing mentors who will offer in-class assistance, tutoring and psychological support.
Outside the classroom, the program will help students engage in on-campus activities through partnership events with the Student Life Department, the Institute of Civic Learning and Democracy and the campus’ Diverse Student Organization—a club promoting inclusivity for people with disabilities.
Currently, students are taking a preparing for student success course with Macrina to improve study habits, time management and utilizing campus resources.
They are also taking introduction to microcomputer usage with professor Ousman Jarjue to acquire skills in software applications such as Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Access.
“I kind of am taken by surprise,” Jarjue said. “Not only did they live up to the challenges, but they also have a very positive attitude.”
For students like 19-year-old Stephen Kong, the academy is a stepping stone toward obtaining his associate’s degree.
“I chose this program so that I can get a job in business intelligence and a degree in full,” Kong said. “That’s the plan.”
The program is currently in its pilot phase and is not accepting applications. Depending on student success and feedback, the program may expand to include additional certificate programs.
For more information, contact Kendall Campus’ ACCESS department at (305) 237-2767 or at kaccess@mdc.edu.
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