New Jersey College Success Program

What is EDGE 2.0

EDGE Logo

The Employment, Development, Guidance and Engagement (EDGE) 2.0 program is administered by The Family Resource Network in partnership with the NJ Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired and Learning Ally.

EDGE 2.0 serves college undergraduates who are blind or vision-impaired by assisting them to develop and implement a career-focused approach to their college experience. All aspects of college life will contribute to the creation of a portfolio that will enhance students’ post-graduate ability to become competitively employed in their field of choice. EDGE 2.0 will address competencies that research has shown to be vital to a successful college experience for undergraduates who are blind or vision impaired. Students will learn how to get the most out of their experiences with faculty, the campus and surrounding communities, the Disability Services Office, course materials, and technology.

Two EDGE participants at the Learning Ally Princeton studio
Two EDGE participants visiting the Learning Ally studio.

 

Curriculum

In the month before classes begin, EDGE 2.0 students will go through the Learning Ally College Success Program curriculum via an accessible online course, with modules addressing each of five critical competency areas: Communicating with Your Professor, Making Social and Professional Connections, Partnering with the Disability Services Office, Learning Effectively, and Making Technology Work for You.

Once those classes are completed, the EDGE 2.0 Career Advisor will work with students to develop a customized campus assessment, assimilation plan, and career plan, all of which will contribute to a focused academic, experiential, and relational portfolio that will serve as a superhighway to powerful career destinations. In the process, EDGE 2.0 will connect students with a network of undergraduate peers and graduate mentors who will support and challenge students during the entirety of their EDGE 2.0 experience. This support network will be available via in-person meetings and an online portal so that students will always have access to one another. In addition, students will have unlimited personal access to Learning Ally’s library, which includes a catalogue of over 80,000 recorded audiobooks.

Contact Us

The Family Resource Network

Contact:
Kerrie Hannen
E-Mail:
edgenj@familyresourcenetwork.org
Phone:
(609)455-8595

Learning Ally

Contact:
College Success Program
E-Mail:
csp@LearningAlly.org
Phone:
(800) 221-4792