Academics
Over the past year, UI REACH academics continued to expand both access and outcomes, with strong student performance and new curricular and research initiatives.
Inclusive Course Access & Student Success
400+
95%
85%
for classroom responsibilities, behavior, and self-advocacy
1:1
has significantly increased
Curriculum Development & New Course Offerings
New Year 1 College Foundations course was launched to strengthen academic and transition skills
Continued development of structured academic supports aligned with person-centered planning and student goals
WorkKeys & ACT Research Partnership
Research projects with ACT to study and strengthen WorkKeys implementation, interventions, and best practices
Research focused on building workforce readiness and credential attainment
Development of the first-ever undergraduate WorkKeys course for UI REACH, scheduled for launch in Fall 2026 semester. The course will provide structured instruction and preparation toward National Career Readiness Certification goals.
Campus Life
Learn more about what UI REACH students have been up to during the past semester.
UI REACH Students as Student Ambassadors
The inclusive campus experience is a critical aspect of the UI REACH program that enables students to acquire independent living, interpersonal, and leadership skills through engaging with peers in a variety of environments. After being introduced to these experiences during their first semester at UI REACH, students have the opportunity to become employed as UI REACH Student Ambassadors. This paid leadership opportunity, created three years ago, enables UI REACH students to serve in a role similar to University Admissions Tour Guides. Since then, the opportunities have expanded to engage Student Ambassadors in roles such as hosting prospective students during interview visit days, leading student dinners, and assisting mentors with student activity planning and development. UI REACH Student Ambassadors gain valuable employment experiences that can transfer to other job opportunities upon graduation. Our Student Life and Career Teams have partnered to provide ambassador training and experiences that are aligned to student career choices.
Spring Semester Activities
Our students lead a full life on campus and beyond. The following pictures display student involvement in several ways that promote their social growth and opportunities to connect with others. Click on each image to learn more.
Career Development
UI REACH students explore career options and build workplace readiness skills through course work, internships, enhanced credentials, mock interviews, field trips, and special guest presentations. Here is a glimpse at some of the career development opportunities students have had this year.
Student Internships
Starting in their second year, students participate in campus and community internships in either volunteer or paid positions. Here are some internship statistics, trends, and updates from the past academic year:
Popular career interests and pathways include Early Childhood & Paraeducator certification, and for the first time, a UI REACH student completed coaching certification.
This year, we launched a new initiative to provide students who had unpaid placements with a $500 trainee stipend upon completion of internship requirements.
A “Job Try Out” model was also piloted during the spring semester, allowing students to further customize their study and internship experiences in alignment with their career interests.
49
coordinated by the career team this year
60-70%
with hourly wages well above minimum wage
10,000
during the past academic year
Mock Interviews, Job Shadows, and Internships
Click on each of the above images to learn more.
Transition Support
The UI REACH transition team supports UI REACH and high school students through every step of their journey.
Alumni Career Success
Setting up students for long-term success is a foundational pillar of the UI REACH program. Employment, job stability, and retention is high across all alumni cohorts. Below are a few achievements of our alum.
97%
in the past year
$15
50%
5 Years
Click on the below images to learn about these alumni's careers.
Ready for REACH
Get ready for REACH! This year, we launched a new initiative to support students transitioning to college. Students with diverse learning needs often need more time, more practice, and more scaffolding to prepare for college. Ready for REACH is an 18-month onboarding program designed to address transition barriers and give students the strongest possible start at UI REACH. The program combines virtual learning, coaching, social events, parent support, and campus experiences to build academic, social, and independent-living confidence. This June, 10 Ready for REACH students came to campus for a two-week summer camp where they participated in tours around the University of Iowa campus, team-building and recreational activities, presentations, skill-building certifications, and more.
Click on the images below to learn more.
EXPLORE
In February 2026, 14 students received their EXPLORE certificates after attending nine monthly sessions and our annual summer camp. EXPLORE (Exploration of Postsecondary Learning Options, Resources, and Employment) is UI REACH’s 10-month program for students aged 14-21 interested in career exploration, self-advocacy, work-based learning experiences, and more. Interested in the program? Learn more on our EXPLORE webpage.
Click on the images below to learn more.
Iowa National Summer Transportation Institute
UI REACH hosted the Iowa National Summer Transportation Institute again this June. Thanks to funding from the Iowa Department of Transportation, 15 students came to the University of Iowa campus for a week to learn about STEM and transportation careers. Some of the highlights of the camp included lab and library tours of the university’s College of Engineering, a visit to the Mississippi River Institute, a team-building ropes course, an educative trip to our local airport, an opportunity to shadow a medical student, among several other fun activities and games.
Click on the images below to learn more.
Student Support
Social Emotional Learning
The UI REACH student support team has been working hard to prepare for the incoming freshman class as well as the returning upper-class students.
Last year, first and second year students completed the Mosaic Social Emotional Learning pre-assessment, and now, the student support team is looking for trends and themes to develop programming for the fall semester to meet the students where they are in their social/emotional skills. Students in their third or fourth year will be taking the pre-assessment early in the fall semester in order for the support team to develop programming based on their support needs. "I am so excited about Mosaic," says UI REACH Student Support Coordinator Kim Hanrahan, "I can’t wait to see how students benefit from participating."
The student support team is looking forward to working with the incoming class and can’t wait to see all of the returning students in just a few short weeks. Feel free to reach out to Kim (kim-hanrahan@uiowa.edu) if you have any thoughts or ideas that could be helpful to the team.
This spring, year one students took social and emotional awareness sessions offered by support staff.