GMercyU Launches Partnership with Upper Merion to Support Students with Intellectual Disabilities

Gwynedd Mercy University launched a new partnership with the Upper Merion Area School District that will bring high school students with intellectual disabilities to campus each week for a college and career readiness experience. The program is among the first of its kind in Pennsylvania.

Beginning this fall, nine Upper Merion students, ages 18-22, will spend Wednesdays at GMercyU, taking two first-year courses — UNV002 Major Explorations in the fall and UNV100 GMercyU Success in the spring — and participating in work-based learning while enjoying access to campus facilities including the library, dining hall, and fitness center.

Many young adults with intellectual disabilities remain in the education system until they turn 22, at which point they transition out of school-based services. This period is a critical time to develop job readiness, explore college-level learning, and strengthen independent living skills. Through this partnership, Upper Merion students can gain the confidence, experiences, and sense of belonging that help shape fulfilling adult lives.

“This partnership reflects how education can be most effective when it’s collaborative,” said Christa Fisher, Director of GMercyU’s Integrated Studies program. “By working in tandem with Upper Merion, we’re creating a supportive bridge that helps students transition confidently from high school into the next chapter of their lives.”

The initiative builds on GMercyU’s Integrated Studies program, a fully inclusive two- and four-year postsecondary experience for students with intellectual disabilities to progressively develop skills each semester related to academic interest, employment, communication, healthy living, and technology with the ultimate goal of increased independence, meaningful employment and self-actualization.

“For our students to have the opportunity to take real college courses and engage with a university community is truly transformative,” said Gail Ward, Special Education and Transition Teacher at Upper Merion Area School District. “We are incredibly proud to partner with Gwynedd Mercy University. This experience will support our students’ transition into adulthood and allow them to pursue a future filled with possibility.”

Fisher and Ward will be joined in the classroom each week by two GMercyU education students who will complete some of the requirements of their Teacher Apprenticeship Program (TAP) field experience. GMercyU’s TAP program puts education majors in the classroom one day a week every semester they are enrolled, helping them build strong classroom management and teaching strategies prior to graduation. Working side by side with Upper Merion’s students, these future educators will gain valuable hands-on training in inclusive teaching practices without leaving GMercyU’s campus.