Foreign Student Series #21 >Landmark, a College for
People with Learning Disabilities
By Nancy Steinbach


Broadcast: February 6, 2003

This is the VOA Special English Education Report.

Today we continue our series for foreign students who want to study in the United States. We tell about an American college for students with learning problems.

It is Landmark College in the northeastern state of Vermont. It was started in 1984 by an expert in educating people who suffer learning disabilities.

People with learning disabilities often cannot think about just one thing for any period of time. Nor can they sit without moving for more than a few minutes. These and other problems interfere with their learning in school. It is difficult for them to complete their education. Many experts believe that learning disabilities are caused by chemical problems in the brain. Whatever the cause, officials at Landmark College say they can help.

Landmark College prepares students to continue their education successfully at other colleges. Officials say ninety percent of the students go on to other schools after they finish at Landmark. Students may study at Landmark for one, two or three years. Or they may take summer classes only.

The teaching at Landmark is different from teaching at other colleges. Teachers use methods planned especially for the students. For example, they may divide a large task into many small ones. Students learn each one, then put them together as a whole.

Classes at Landmark are small. There are between eight and twelve students in each class. The college develops an education plan for each student. And each student has one special teacher who helps him or her study.

This individual supervision is costly. A student pays almost forty-thousand dollars a year to attend Landmark College. This includes the cost of food and living at the school. Students may ask to be considered for financial help.

Three-hundred-sixty students attend Landmark College. And this includes students from about twelve foreign countries. The college offers English classes and other services for international students. You can get more information about Landmark College by using a computer. The Internet address is www.landmarkcollege.org

Or you can write to the Admissions Office, Landmark College, River Road South, Putney, Vermont, zero-five-three-four-six, U-S-A.

This VOA Special English Education Report was written by Nancy Steinbach.