​"He’s always had a world; one in his mind. Because of his time at MLC (now MICC), his world has grown in every way – bigger, richer, more colorful, and filled with people who care about him."

​- Parent of an MICC Graduate

We transform lives every day.

​At Minnesota Independence College & Community (MICC), we apply our extraordinary competencies, our unique academic curriculum, and our experiential teaching strategies to achieve the ultimate goal: that our students and graduates live meaningful, independent lives by attaining and maintaining employment.
We believe in the importance of vocational training.
In a society where the ability to get and keep a job is one of the single most important factors to being able to live independently, only 32.5% of young adults with autism spectrum disorders currently work for pay. [1]  Through MICC College, 100% of graduates become employed and achieve independence.

We believe in the benefits being engaged in community. 
​Roughly one in four young adults with autism is considered socially isolated – meaning no contact with anyone outside of family for over a year. [2] They are more likely to never see friends, never get called by friends and never be invited to activities. Through MICC College and MICC Community programs, our students and graduates develop lifelong friendships and discover the joy of living a vibrant life. 

We impart our core competencies – independent living skills, employment readiness and placement, and social integration and peer support – with three interconnected program components and a holistic approach.

  1. The National Longitudinal Transition Study -2, through the National Center for Special Education Research, funded by the US Department of Education. 
  2. Roux, Anne M., Shattuck, Paul T., Rast, Jessica E., Rava, Julianna A., and Anderson, Kristy, A. National Autism Indicators Report: Transition into Young Adulthood. Philadelphia, PA: Life Course Outcomes Research Program, A.J. Drexel Autism Institute, Drexel University, 2015.
MICC College is an intensive, three-year education for young adults with learning differences and autism spectrum disorders. ​We apply our unique MICC Curriculum to teach students the skills necessary for long-term, independent living.  Our campus features an apartment-living setting located in a vibrant urban community, which allows for 24-hour teaching and access to competitive employment, public transportation, and social opportunities.
Our Summer Internship Program (SIP) is a three-week summer residential program for teens with autism spectrum disorders and learning differences whose families are preparing for high school completion. SIP introduces those teens to our Learn Skills. Experience Life. curriculum in an apartment-living setting and illuminates the value and meaning of independent living and employment.
​Our MICC Community is a life-long program for MICC graduates who live in the Richfield Minnesota area. 
 
We offer MICC Community participants transition guidance, apartment-living coaching, career support, and over 80 structured social activities per month. 
 
We evaluate the needs of our participants using our MICC Curriculum competencies on an annual basis, or more frequently if needed.
 
In addition, it provides families with stable communication, structure, and guidance. Working together, we offer graduates opportunities for life-long independence.

How do we measure success?
Our students and graduates surpass the expectations set by their demographic statistics and national trends. 99% of our eligible job seekers are employed, 82% of our graduates engage in two to three social activities per month, and 90% of our graduates are employed and living in their own apartment—not with their parents, other family members or in group homes. Every single one of those individuals has been living independently since their completion of MICC College.

99%