UMass Boston’s Institute for Community Inclusion Awarded $481,675 to Expand “Future Quest” Career Exploration Initiatives
Lori Cooney, M.Ed., program director of inclusive education and curriculum design at the Institute for Community Inclusion (ICI) at UMass Boston, has been awarded a second-year contract of $481,675 from the Plan Your Way OK initiative at the Oklahoma State Department of Education, funded by the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA). This year’s award builds on a prior $249,650 contract and is part of a four-year partnership totaling $1.39 million.
As principal investigator (PI), Cooney is leading efforts to implement Future Quest Island-Explorations (FQI-E) with elementary schools across Oklahoma, while also collaborating with FableVision Studios to develop a new interactive career simulation game, Future Quest–Journeys, for students ages 13–22.
“The Future Quest projects really show how inclusive design and early career awareness through game-based learning can open new pathways for all learners, especially students with disabilities,” said Cooney. “Developed in collaboration with students and educators and grounded in Universal Design for Learning, these tools help students connect their strengths and interests to future career paths. They also support early transition planning by helping students build and use digital portfolios that highlight who they are as a person, learner, worker, and friend.”
FQI-E was initially developed through a U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) Stepping Up to Technology grant (2018–2024) led by PI Meg Grigal, Ph.D., and Co-PI Cooney, in collaboration with FableVision Studios and the Education Development Center (EDC).
Future Quest Island – Explorations (FQI-E) is an accessible, game-based learning program that helps elementary students build self-concept, set goals, and explore future possibilities through an interactive island adventure grounded in the evidence-based Possible Selves Framework. Research on FQI-E's effectiveness, led by Meg Caven, Ph.D., formerly of the EDC, demonstrated positive and significant gains in students’ career planning, social awareness, and educational self-efficacy, including students’ belief that they will graduate from high school, even in high-poverty schools with low graduation rates.
The soon to be released Future Quest–Journeys simulation game will extend that experience for older students, guiding them through career pathways, skill-building, and real-world decision-making in an engaging, universally designed digital environment.
“This project exemplifies the Institute for Community Inclusion’s commitment to creating accessible, evidence-based tools that help all learners prepare for success,” said Cindy Thomas, director of the ICI. “Lori’s leadership and collaboration with national partners ensure that inclusive career exploration opportunities reach students who might otherwise be left behind.”
The Future Quest series honors the memory of Debra Hart, A.B.D., the project’s original principal investigator and former director of the education and transition team at ICI.
Latest University News
- Second Beacon Wellness Walk Draws Impressive CrowdUMass Boston successfully kicked off another year of the Beacon Wellness Initiative — focused on empowering health, promoting well-being, and building community — with the Second Annual Beacon Wellness Walk held on Wednesday, October 1.
- Think College at UMass Boston’s Institute for Community Inclusion (ICI) has been awarded a $10 million grant from the U.S. Department of EducationThe ICI’s Think College has been awarded a five-year, $10 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to continue to serve as the National Coordinating Center (NCC) for the Transition and Postsecondary Programs for Students with Intellectual Disabilities (TPSID).
- Biology Team to Survey Reptiles and Amphibians in National Parks with $190K NPS Cooperative AgreementProfessors of Biology Rob Stevenson and Doug Woodhams, from the College of Science and Mathematics, have received a two-year award for $190,000 from the Department of the Interior’s National Park Service to develop a comprehensive survey of reptiles and amphibians in participating parks.
- In Fruit Fly Eyes, UMass Boston Researcher Sees Potential Medical DiscoveriesJens Rister, an associate professor in UMass Boston’s biology department, has just been awarded more than $1,700,000 in funding from the National Eye Institute of the NIH to research a protein that guides the development of color vision in fruit flies. By learning more about the underlying mechanisms, Rister hopes to learn about human diseases such as Oculoauricular Syndrome, a genetic condition that affects eyes and ears.
- Quantum Experts Discuss Impact of Investment on Students, Science and BusinessesFollowing the announcement that UMass Boston will be receiving a $3.8M grant to develop and commercialize quantum hardware, expert panelists discussed the positive impact that investment in quantum research can have.
- College of Management Welcomes a Global Cohort of Dean’s Student AmbassadorsThe College of Management at the UMass Boston is proud to announce its newest cohort of Dean’s Student Ambassadors–an extraordinary group of undergraduate leaders who will represent the College throughout the 2025-2026 academic year.
