Christina Briscoe

Special educator and transition leader with 20+ years of experience teaching and supporting young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) across K-12, postsecondary, and community settings. Co-founded and directed Montana’s first inclusive postsecondary education program, LIFE Scholars, and Montana’s first Project SEARCH site, delivering community-based instruction in career readiness, financial literacy, self-advocacy, communication, and social skills. Proven success in person-centered planning, Universal Design for Learning, and using data to guide instruction and achieve measurable student outcomes (94% employment rate among Project SEARCH graduates).

Experienced in building cross-sector partnerships, launching mission-driven initiatives, and securing philanthropic and institutional support.

Independent Consultant at Self-Employed (Present)

• Person-Centered Transition Planning: Provide transition planning, collaborative goal setting, and practical consultation for young adults with IDD and their support networks.
• Holistic Action Planning: Partner with individuals to translate personal and professional aspirations into actionable plans across relationships, health, work, community, and daily living.

Director, LIFE Scholars Program at Montana State University

• Instruction & Advising: Advised and provided case management for 20+ students annually using a self-determination framework. Provided individualized and group instruction through topic-specific workshops and career development courses.
• Community-Based Experiential Learning: Established 35+ campus and community internship sites for career exploration and work experience across industry sectors, supported student-led entrepreneurial projects, and hosted employer and community events.
• Inclusive Access & UDL: Built systems for full inclusion, including the ADA and Section 504 accommodations; educated faculty, students, and interns on UDL and disability.
• Standards & Outcomes: Evaluated students and program on an ongoing and annual basis in alignment with Think College Standards and Quality Benchmarks; secured federal Comprehensive Transition Program (CTP) designation, giving LIFE Scholars access to federal financial aid.
• Program Founding & Leadership: Co-founded and directed Montana’s first inclusive postsecondary education program for students with IDD; authored the proposal and business plan, convened a university task force and community advisory council, and launched the first cohort in fall 2018. Expanded program to include four full-time staff and an average of 25 peer partners per semester.
• Funding & Budget: Wrote and managed the program’s initial Gilhousen Family Foundation grant, securing early-stage funding; later managed a growing budget supported by a $2 million endowment gift and additional major contributions.

Project SEARCH Coordinator at Bozeman Health

• Curriculum Delivery & Instruction: Implemented the Project SEARCH curriculum, teaching professionalism, communication, social skills, financial literacy, health and wellness, technology, advocacy, and executive functioning skills in a structured, community-based hospital setting.
• Measurable Vocational Outcomes: Achieved a 94% employment rate among student graduates.
• Program Launch: Initiated and led Montana’s first Project SEARCH program site, embedding interns in hospital departments to gain job skills and work experience.
• Multi-Agency Coalition Building: Coordinated a multi-agency partnership between Developmental Disability services, Vocational Rehabilitation, hospital administration, and employers to establish a competitive, integrated employment pathway for young adults with IDD.

Special Education Teacher, PreK-12 at Scotland and various locations in the US (PA, WA, NC, SC, OR, MT)

• Individual Instruction & Collaboration: Taught students with a wide range of disabilities and ages; led paraprofessional teams, and partnered with families and therapists to build individualized plans around each student’s strengths and goals.

Program Leadership at Special Olympics Montana

• Project UNIFY Coordinator • Local Program Coordinator • Big Sky Area Director
• Inclusion Initiatives & Programming: Coordinated a federally funded statewide inclusion initiative (Project UNIFY) and organized the first statewide Youth Summit, convening 150+ youth with and without intellectual disabilities; received national recognition from Special Olympics International.
• Adaptive Program Expansion: Introduced new programming to include Unified Sports and the Young Athletes Program, delivering adaptive sports programming for young children with IDD.
• Event Logistics & Fundraising: Managed year-round sports programming and competition for 100+ athletes, overseeing volunteer recruitment, facility planning, and fundraising.
• National Advocacy: Represented Special Olympics Montana at Capitol Hill Day in Washington, D.C., and served as a mentor for the National Youth Activation Committee.

Master of Science in Special Education – Portland State University

Bachelor of Science in Special Education – Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA