Wor-Wic Community College begins mission to set students with disabilities on pathways to success

SALISBURY, Md. – Wor-Wic Community College (Wor-Wic) has embarked on a new mission to better serve certain students with disabilities.

Grant to Address Disproportion of Disabled Students Involved in Justice System

The institution was recently awarded a $5.7 million, five-year grant from the U.S. Department of Education.

With the funding, school officials said they plan to create a program that identifies students with disabilities who have had run-ins with the justice system. Through the program, those students would be connected with pathways toward successful careers.

“We looked at the data and we noticed that youth with disabilities have a disproportionate rate of justice involvement. We also know that they have lower levels of post-secondary attainment and career attainment,” said Carla Makinen, Director of Grants for Wor-Wic.

Program to Follow Phased Approach

Makinen said the program will be built through a four-phase approach.

In phase one, the school would conduct a six-month environmental survey. It would identify which resources for such students already exist and which may be lacking. Makinen said the study will survey community agencies, including the Maryland Division of Rehabilitative Services. Then, the institution will build a program advisory committee.

The second phase would focus on professional development for Wor-Wic faculty and administrators, local law enforcement, local educators and employers.

“It really depends on what our environmental survey shows us as to where the professional development training needs are,” Makinen said, adding the second phase would take place in the late spring of 2025.

In the third phase, Makinen said Wor-Wic plans to partner with Wicomico County Public Schools to identify students who would be a good fit for a pilot program in the fall of 2025. The fourth phase would expand the program to schools in Worcester and Somerset Counties in the fall of 2026.

Program leaders will work with an external evaluator to identify best practices in time for the full roll-out, Makinen said.

“We have positions built into the grant, including career coaches, accessibility coordinators and learning services to make sure that once we start working with these students we have the people with the skills in place to best serve students… We’re hoping that what we use here, and what works well here, can be used by other colleges to serve youth with disabilities,” Makinen said.

A Unique Opportunity

Wor-Wic is also home to the Eastern Shore Criminal Justice Academy. It offers associate degrees and certificate programs in criminal justice. School leaders said in a news release that the college has a unique opportunity to improve relationships between law enforcement and people with disabilities.

“Equipping law enforcement officers with the knowledge and skills to interact effectively with individuals with disabilities is not just training—it’s a commitment to justice, empathy and ensuring every person is treated with dignity and respect,” John Moses, Director of Criminal Justice at Wor-Wic, stated in the release.

Makinen said the needs of students involved in the program will be broad, as the spectrum of disability is diverse. She added the program will provide a variety of assistive technology to ensure student success.

“In the end, we just want these students to be successful, regardless of what their goals are after high school and after, perhaps, exiting the justice system… Realistically, there are some students that maybe will not be as engaged as thoughtfully as others. So, [the scope of the program] is really dependent on the needs,” Makinen said.

“A huge boost,”

The $5.7 million grant is the largest that Wor-Wic has ever received. Makinen said the application process was extremely competitive, adding that Wor-Wic was the only community college awarded out of 27 grantees.

“Everything we do is very data-driven and looking at the data, what we already have in the college and the technologies and accessibility resources we already provide… We’re starting to look for new ways to serve maybe harder-to-reach and historically underserved populations. So, this funding provides a huge boost to developing the services,” Makinen said.

To learn more about Wor-Wic’s disability services, click here.