Empowering Youth with Disabilities

The Independence Center works to empower youth between the ages of 14 and 24 who have disabilities. Through our Youth Services, we provide supports and encouragement to help young adults thrive.

Services include:

• In-school workshops
  • These workshops connect with young adults, and spread awareness on topics important to The Independence Center.
  • As a standard curriculum provided in schools, we facilitate (among other topics): An Introduction to the Independence Center (that is paired with a tour of our building), Self-Advocacy, and Disability\Mental Health Awareness.
  • We provide these and other workshops to school districts upon request.
• Community-based workshops
  • We make all our school workshops available to the community, in addition to family-based workshops that ensure our consumers have a strong support system.
• Youth support group
  • Our youth support group offers youth the opportunity to share and learn in a peer-supported environment. The frequency of the group varies per quarter; find the schedule in our up to date calendar.
• Youth Transitions Program
  • This program is available to youth with significant disabilities who are eligible for IEP or 504 plans. Please contact us to learn more.

Getting Started

For more information about our Youth Services, please contact our Youth Advocate, Nina Kamekona, by emailing nkamekona@the-ic.org or by calling 719-471-8181.