Experiences of belonging are a basic human need (Baumeister & Leary, 1995), and the accessibility of belonging might look different for individuals labeled with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) due to historic and ongoing exclusion. This qualitative, participatory study explored how adults with intellectual and developmental…

The purpose of this project is to establish a healthy community through conflict resolution in small communities through the relationship-oriented dialogue education. This project was designed as a practical program that serves as a guide for effectively coping with conflicts within small communities and was conducted over a period of 12 weeks…

Is inclusion in the arts just a myth? Research has shown there are few peer reviewed journal articles and books published about inclusive programs in community art centers for adults with disabilities. This qualitative single case study critically reviewed the inclusive programs offered at a Midwestern community visual art center. During the…

For over 100 years, youth mentoring has grown to be an evidenced based prevention strategy for youth, demonstrating positive youth outcomes through strong relationships with caring adults. While trusting relationships are the mainstay of the positive impacts achieved through mentoring, the difficulty in recruiting volunteer adults has not met the…

This community-partnered participatory study explores the outcomes of adult alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) users who qualified for special education under autism and/or intellectual disability. This multiple case study examines outcomes, the transition to adulthood, K-12 and special education experience, and the diagnosis and AAC…

Most schools have a code of conduct that guides their expectations for student behaviors. While schools' policies around discipline are believed to help deter further negative behavioral incidents, restorative practices is a field of study that strives to proactively build community and social coherence rather than exclusionary consequences…

This study examined the initial impact of the 2021 amendment to the Student Excellence Equals Degree (SEED) legislation on adult student program recipients at Delaware Technical Community College (Delaware Tech) in the state of Delaware. Additionally, the study explored the characteristics of adult student program recipients. The researcher used a…

While universities' interest in community engagement has grown over time in the United States, the public pedagogies set forth by them do not always reflect a commitment to sustaining community-engaged learning. Additionally, commitments sometimes demonstrate mindsets and the language of "helping" the community or "fixing" a…

Adult students are generally classified as a single group for study, yet developmental psychologists recognize separate developmental periods during adulthood that suggest adult students at midlife may experience development within higher education differently that younger adult students, in part due to ageism expressed at individual,…

Not a lot of research has been done on the middle age years despite this being a pivotal time for adults. Women at this stage of their lives undergo many changes such as perimenopause to complete menopause, having to take care of aging parents, and losing a spouse. Additionally, women tend to seek other women for help and support and form a…

Amid a long period of deskilling in art school curricula, craft has been denigrated as inferior to art and confining for artists, but can craft liberate imagination? The purpose of this study was to understand the relationship between an adult learner's self-perceived capacity for imaginative expression in representational drawing and the…

The purpose of this study was to gain insight into the factors of resilience that educators could replicate to increase the number of socio-economically disadvantaged students that successfully complete high school and continue to become successful adults. An examination of the factors that socio-economically disadvantaged individuals attribute to…

Third culture kids (TCKs) spend their childhood and adolescence outside of their home countries. Because of their unique backgrounds, TCKs and adult TCKs face challenges including identity development, low self-esteem, lack of connection with their home countries, posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, adjustment disorder, and others. Although…

The current study was the first in the literature to examine the impact of a digital learning collaborative, The Learning Exchange (LEX), on the development and recovery of clubhouse members. The research study employed a content analysis technique where data was grouped into common themes to address the individual- and organizational-level…

The purpose of my study was to document the educational experiences of adult "mexicana" immigrants and their "convivencia" with others in public spaces. This study consequently addressed the interdisciplinary gap between adult education and Chicana feminist epistemology. I collected data through a "convivencia"…