Inclusive Postsecondary Peer Mentoring as Preparation for Teaching
Location
Preston 1
Session Format
Presentation
Abstract
Senior special education majors will share their reflections on working as peer mentors for the GC THRIVE Program, an Inclusive Postsecondary Education (IPSE) Program for students with intellectual disabilities (ID). The THRIVE program is focused on providing students with ID with opportunities and experiences to help them become successful adults after college. Students take Georgia College & State University (GCSU) courses with their non-disabled peers, work in on-campus internships, and develop friendships with their peers.
While the emphasis of IPSE programs is, appropriately, on students with ID, there is often less focus on the experiences of the peer mentors who support them. Peer Mentors are matriculated college students who support THRIVE students academically and socially.
This qualitative study addresses the question: How does working as a THRIVE peer mentor during the first two years of college impact students’ experiences in the cohort teacher preparation program and how do these experiences prepare them for teaching?
By the end of the session, session attendees will be able to:
- Describe the peer mentoring component of an IPSE Program
- Point out the benefits and challenges of working as a peer mentor in this program
- Examine the connection between peer mentoring experiences and future teaching
Keywords
inclusive postsecondary, intellectual disabilities, peer mentors, teacher preparation
Professional Bio
Dr. Nicole M. DeClouette is a Professor of Special Education at Georgia College & State University. Dr. DeClouette serves as the founder and director of the GC THRIVE Program, an Inclusive Postsecondary Education Program. She also serves as President for the Council for Exceptional Children’s (CEC) Division of International Special Education and Services (DISES). She has presented at DISES conferences in Bulgaria, India, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Panama, Portugal, and South Africa. Her international work is further informed by her study abroad program, Disability and Culture in Tanzania.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
DeClouette, Nicole M.; Sumowski, Rob; Cox, Heather; Wills, Steve; Gerber, Aubrey; Blackford, Cora; and O'Riordan, Kaylin, "Inclusive Postsecondary Peer Mentoring as Preparation for Teaching" (2026). Georgia Educational Research Association Conference. 28.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/gera/2026/2026/28
Inclusive Postsecondary Peer Mentoring as Preparation for Teaching
Preston 1
Senior special education majors will share their reflections on working as peer mentors for the GC THRIVE Program, an Inclusive Postsecondary Education (IPSE) Program for students with intellectual disabilities (ID). The THRIVE program is focused on providing students with ID with opportunities and experiences to help them become successful adults after college. Students take Georgia College & State University (GCSU) courses with their non-disabled peers, work in on-campus internships, and develop friendships with their peers.
While the emphasis of IPSE programs is, appropriately, on students with ID, there is often less focus on the experiences of the peer mentors who support them. Peer Mentors are matriculated college students who support THRIVE students academically and socially.
This qualitative study addresses the question: How does working as a THRIVE peer mentor during the first two years of college impact students’ experiences in the cohort teacher preparation program and how do these experiences prepare them for teaching?
By the end of the session, session attendees will be able to:
- Describe the peer mentoring component of an IPSE Program
- Point out the benefits and challenges of working as a peer mentor in this program
- Examine the connection between peer mentoring experiences and future teaching
