Announcing the I’m Determined Center!
What’s Changing
After 19 years as a state project, I’m Determined is becoming a dedicated Center!
This change means we’re expanding our capacity to:
- help youth learn about and practice self-determination,
- work with educators to provide opportunities for their students, and
- support families as they help their children transition to life after high school.
I’m Determined was previously organized through the Training & Technical Assistance Centers (TTACs). While this partnership will continue, the I’m Determined team will now be employees of the I’m Determined Center through James Madison University. This means we will have a team of skilled specialists dedicating 100 percent of their time to our mission.
What This Means for Youth, Families, and Educators
The I’m Determined Center will continue to serve youth, families, and educators with the same dedication. Our website will remain a comprehensive source of information about self-determination, and we will continue to build and provide valuable, easy-to-use tools and resources. We will also increase our ability to showcase our success stories. You can expect transparent communication about this, and any other upcoming changes, through our social media and website.
Impacts at the State Level
This change will not impact this year’s Youth & Family Summit, and we already have a date set for the 2025 Aspire event. We will also increase our capacity to collaborate with other state projects and centers by:
- working with Virginia’s statewide partners to make sure youth, families, and educators continue to learn how to practice self-determination.
- presenting breakout sessions, keynotes, and panels at statewide conferences to enhance the instructional practices of self-determination in Virginia schools.
- partnering with other statewide organizations who serve families of students with disabilities.
Impacts Regionally and Locally
We want to bring self-determination into the daily routines of more students in Virginia. We plan to partner with more schools and divisions by:
- providing professional development for educators, who then find ways of practicing self-determination in the classrooms.
- supporting division-led events with sessions, panels, and keynotes.
- hosting Echo Events, where our team collaborates with a division to host a one-day event that echoes the content from our Youth & Family Summit. Echo events happen locally, allowing families to experience what the larger Summit is like and learn about the local resources available to them.
- collaborating with youth, families, and educators to help tell the stories of those who are implementing self-determination into their lives.
Why This is Important
Over the years, we have learned a lot about the importance of self-determination. When students decide to climb out of the passenger seat and into the driver’s seat of their lives, it can have a life-changing impact on their future.
This work requires openness to hearing and listening to young people’s voices. It requires flexibility, imagination, and willingness to try new things.
This change gives us more time, resources, and capacity. It will help us grow and provide enhanced support to students, educators, and families.