Ready For mi Life

09/26/2026

Ready For mi Life will be tabling at the Ottawa County Disability Resource Symposium at Fair Haven church in Hudsonville on Saturday, 9/26. Stop by and say hello!

09/21/2026

We are hiring at Ready for Life Academy; Hope college.

Apply at the link, or PM me for more information!!

https://rflnetwork.org/employment-application/

Very flexible schedules... 10- 20 hours weekly!

Summary of Responsibilities:

Employees are responsible for providing one-on-one community living support services (CLS) to individuals with disabilities at Ready For Life Academy. Employees are expected to work alongside clients and help them to achieve their goals predetermined by their Person-Centered Plan as well as assist them in daily living skills within the client’s home or in the community. Expectations and goals vary per client. Goal categories include home maintenance, cooking, socialization, and personal safety. For example, an employee may transport a client to the grocery store and support them in finding everything on their list while ensuring that they are developing and exercising the proper socialization skills within the store

09/03/2026

Our visit days for this fall are fast approaching!

*the Ferris State University campus visit day has been cancelled. Our partnership with FSU will come to an end at the end of the fall 2026 semester

Ready for mi Life Academy is a nonprofit that partners with colleges and universities across the state of Michigan to provide inclusive college experiences for young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

At our visit days, we give a presentation with information about our program, discuss program costs and financial aid opportunities, host a panel discussion or Q&A where students and families can ask questions about the program. We also offer lunch on us and a guided tour of campus.

We would love to have you join for a visit day, register online today: https://rflnetwork.org/academy-visit-day-registration/

09/03/2026

Check out our new Instagram page if you want to keep up with our NMC program on Instagram!

09/02/2026

A message from our Executive Director!

Dear RFL Client and Student Families, and Friends of RFL,

We're excited to share that Ready For mi LIFE has a refreshed look. Over the coming weeks, you'll notice a new visual identity across our agendas, forms, and communications — an updated logo and a new color palette of gold, green, and charcoal that reflects the warmth, growth, and strength at the heart of our programs.

You'll also notice the "mi" in our name — Ready For mi LIFE. It's a nod to Michigan, and it's intentional: it unifies every Ready For mi LIFE program across the state under one shared identity, even as each site continues to serve its own local community.

These colors were chosen with intention. They draw from the Disability Pride Flag, a symbol of the broader disability community we're proud to stand alongside. Gold reflects the cognitive and intellectual disabilities so many of our students & clients navigate every day. Green reflects sensory disabilities, including differences in hearing, vision, and sensory processing. And charcoal, drawn from the flag's background, recognizes and honors disabled individuals who have suffered due to ableism — a reminder of why this work matters.

More than a new color scheme, this refresh comes with a unifying theme that will guide our work going forward: Belong. Believe. Become. This theme is grounded in research on inclusion and belonging by Dr. Erik Carter, whose work reminds us that true belonging means being present, invited, welcomed, known, accepted, supported, heard, befriended, needed, and loved. Those ten dimensions are the foundation for everything we do with the students and families we serve.

This update is about more than appearance — it's a renewed commitment to the experience our client and student families have with us every day. Belong speaks to the community we build together. Believe speaks to the support and encouragement that helps every student grow with confidence. Become speaks to the futures our students are working toward, one step at a time.

Our mission and our commitment to you remain the same. What's changing is how clearly that mission shows up in everything we share with you — from the materials our staff use in training, to the forms our sites rely on, to the letters like this one. We hope this new look helps our whole community — client families, student families, and Friends of RFL alike — feel even more connected to the work we do together.

Thank you for being part of the Ready For mi LIFE family. We're grateful for your continued partnership and trust, and we're proud to carry this next chapter forward together.

With gratitude,

Toni Falk

Executive Director

Ready For mi LIFE

08/24/2026

🎉 **A FIRST DAY TO REMEMBER!** 🎉

Today was a BIG day for Ready For Life as we officially welcomed the inaugural students of **Ready For Life Academy at Northwestern Michigan College in Traverse City!** 💙💚

What started as an idea and a vision has become a reality—and today, our first NMC students took those exciting first steps toward greater independence, meaningful friendships, employment, self-advocacy, and so much more. 🌟

From getting to know one another and exploring campus to learning the daily routines and getting ready for the year ahead, there were plenty of smiles, new connections, and moments to celebrate!

We are incredibly grateful to **Northwestern Michigan College** for partnering with us to make inclusive postsecondary education a reality in Northern Michigan. We are also so proud of our amazing students, families, and team members who helped make this day possible.

**The journey starts today—and we can't wait to see where it leads!** 🚀

08/05/2026

06/26/2026

If you or someone you know has been waiting for the right time to submit their Ready for Life Academy application- that time is now!
We have an interview day coming up on July 17th! Submit your application online and we will reach out to schedule your interview!

These interviews are focused towards students that are planning ahead and want to enroll for Fall 2027! Why so early?
Well, applying and interviewing now offers you the advantage of knowing what comes next early- giving you the opportunity to plan, save, apply for scholarships, and have more confidence and clarity about what the future holds!

06/26/2026

06/23/2026

Work Experience Opportunity (WEO) Group!
During the school year, students have individual WEO placements at the college campus or in the community to help them add relevant experience to their resume and learn the skills that they will need for long-term employment success in a field that aligns with their strengths and passion! Before placement, students take a course to prepare them for the expectations of independent work and to explore their strengths and interests.

During the summer, the students may be incoming freshmen to our program or students visiting from other campuses, so they haven’t taken this preparation course and they may not yet have a solid idea of their long-term job goals. Because of this, our summer program adapts with WEO groups! Twice per week, a few staff take a group of students to a community partner site to learn and volunteer together. We try all kinds of jobs and visit all kinds of places! Students are able to build their confidence with staff and peer support and explore different kinds of jobs!

Thank you to Dewitt Packaging for partnering as a WEO group site this summer!