Resource Directory /

Education Resources

  • The Kinda Guide

    The Kinda Guide is designed to be a weekly survival guide for parents and families that will include expert tips on remote learning, parenting advice, virtual camp activities, simple meal and snack ideas and at-home family adventures.

  • The Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center at Gallaudet University

    The Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center at Gallaudet University is a federally funded center providing elementary and secondary education programs for deaf and hard-of-hearing students. The Clerc Center Online Community provides best-practice videos, research, toolkits and resources for families of deaf and hard-of-hearing children and the professionals who work with them.

    Clerc Center resources include:

    • The Language First Parent Guide, a step-by-step roadmap for parents with children who are deaf and hard of hearing
    • Family-focused activities such as American Sign Language (ASL) classes, bilingual storybooks and more

  • The Odyssey Project at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

    The Odyssey Project offers free University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign courses in the humanities to income-eligible adults in east-central Illinois. Odyssey students can earn up to eight transferable college credits in an environment designed to support non-traditional students, especially those whose education has been interrupted for whatever reason.

    The courses include free textbooks and course materials, access to computers, bus fare to and from class and more.

    Visit the Odyssey Project website for more details and program fact sheets in Spanish, French and Simplified Chinese.

  • The Parent Advocacy App for Families of Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing Children

    The Parent Advocacy app is a free application for families of children who are deaf or hard of hearing attending Individualized Education Program meetings, 504 Plan meetings and more.

    The app aims to help you understand your child’s rights and prepare to work with the school in the best interest of your child.

  • The Penguin Project

    The Penguin Project provides a supportive environment for children with a wide range of disabilities to explore the performing arts. The program encourages children and young adults ages 10 to 24 to discover their creative talents, build self-confidence and make new friends by rehearsing and performing a modified version of a well-known Broadway musical. The young artists work side-by-side with age-level “peer mentors” through four months of rehearsals and the final performance.

    The project has several chapters in Illinois. Visit The Penguin Project website for more details.

  • The Salvation Army St. Clair County

    The Salvation Army St. Clair County provides a variety of programs and services to help individuals and families remove barriers, build job skills, find childcare and remain in their homes. It offers:

    • After-school programs where youth and teens have a safe place to complete homework, learn new skills and relax with friends
    • Pathway to Hope program that helps families identify barriers and address them by connecting with community support organizations and more
    • Homelessness prevention services
    • Emergency help with rent/mortgage, utility bills and other needs to keep families in their homes

    For questions, please contact the Salvation Army St. Clair County in Belleville, Ill., at (618) 235-7378.

  • Think College

    Think College provides resources, technical assistance and training related to college options for students with intellectual disabilities. It also manages a national listing of college programs for students with intellectual disabilities in the United States.

    See the Think College fact sheet in English or Spanish for more details. Think College resources also include:

    • Learning modules for families on exploring college options, how to pay for college and more
    • The “Student Corner” and Emerging Advocates Student Group
    • A searchable list of colleges nationwide and what they offer
    • Recursos para Familias (Family resources in Spanish)

  • Transition Planning Committee for McLean, Dewitt and Logan Counties

    The Transition Planning Committee (TPC) for McLean, Dewitt and Logan Counties provides a wide range of resources to support students with disabilities and help their families navigate the transition to adulthood and life after high school. The resources are also helpful for educators and community members who are helping students and young adults build skills and explore their options after high school. The committee’s resources include:

    • Education and training programs
    • Support and mental health services
    • Transportation and employment
    • Legal and financial help
    • Recreation and social opportunities
    • Prioritization of Urgent Need for Services (PUNS)
    • Housing and developmental training

  • U.S. Department of Education

    The U.S. Department of Education is America’s education agency. Its website includes guidance, resources and technical assistance related to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

    IDEA is a law that makes available a free appropriate public education to eligible children with disabilities throughout the nation and ensures special education and related services to those children, supports early intervention services for infants and toddlers and their families, and awards competitive discretionary grants.

  • UIC’s Institute on Disability and Human Development

    The University of Illinois Chicago’s Institute on Disability and Human Development (IDHD) promotes community participation, health, empowerment and advocacy for people with disabilities and their families across all aspects of life. IDHD is part of the University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD) network for the state of Illinois.

    UIC’s IDHD supports and services include: