UT FUTURE Program Outreach Video

So, the FUTURE program is the post-secondary education program at the University of Tennessee for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It provides them with an inclusive learning environment on the campus and also just gives them those independence and career skills to get to the job and career that they want. FUTURE has impacted my UT experience through creating new friendships through a program that I didn't even know existed. It has also fostered inclusivity which is very important to me. My name is Natalie Campbell. I am a junior at the University of Tennessee. So I was really excited to learn about FUTURE. I knew that it was here I didn't know a ton about it, but I had experienced the benefits of inclusion when I was in high school. And so for myself and my own kind of college experience I wanted to experience those benefits again. With inclusion, you not only have better educational outcomes for students with and without intellectual disabilities, but a lot of good social outcomes. We have just a broadened perspective of people who experience life a little bit differently than you. And so just the opportunity to be around that was something that I really wanted for my college career. So if anyone is thinking about volunteering as a peer mentor I would definitely encourage you to try it out. I think you'll find that there's a lot you will get from this experience.