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Peer Power Project

Each year, over 5,000 students with disabilities graduate from Wisconsin high schools. Some of them will make smooth transitions to adult lives, but many will not.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) mandates that students with disabilities be invited to their Individualized Education Plan (IEP) meetings from age 14 through completion of high school. This is so they are involved in the decision-making process about their future. Unfortunately, many students are not prepared to take an active role in this process.
Peer Power is a project designed for youth in the transition phase of their education. The project involves youth who are making decisions about their lives after high school.

Peer Power emphasizes the development of knowledge, skills and confidence in the students themselves. Peer Power contractors will be expected to prepare students with disabilities for the transition to life beyond school. This will be accomplished through peer support, advocacy training, person-centered planning, leadership experience, information on the IEP process and the individual’s rights, and opportunities to learn about jobs, housing, and community resources in order to make informed decisions.

Currently WCDD is contracting with two agencies working with this project in three parts of the state. Wisconsin FACETS is facilitating this project in Milwaukee and the Fox River Valley (Appleton, Neenah, Menasha, etc.), and the Center for Independent Living of Western Wisconsin is facilitating the project in the La Crosse and Eau Claire areas.