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The NDSC Communicator
_________________________________________________May, 2012 |
| Planning Ahead
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Do you have a child making the move from pre-school to elementary? From elementary to junior high? Transitioning from middle to high school? It's never too early (or even too late) to think about the possibilities of post-secondary education.
College. Many parents have probably considered going to college an impossible goal for their children and young adults with Down syndrome. Historically, our sons and daughters have watched wistfully as their siblings pack up and head off to college full of hopes and dreams for the future.
Our children with Down syndrome want and will benefit from those same kinds of experiences to gain independence, foster lasting adult relationships, and improve their employment opportunities.
Today, things are shifting at the college level, and there are currently over 165 post-secondary educational opportunities for students with intellectual disabilities. Here's why: In 2010, 27 grants totaling over $10.5 million were awarded to two- and four-year institutions of higher learning. This allowed for the establishment of the Consortium for Postsecondary Education for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities and The Center for Postsecondary Education for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities. Funding comes from the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, the Administration on Developmental Disabilities, the Office of Special Education Programs and the Office of Postsecondary Education.
Through the consortium, more programs are being developed throughout the United States. For more information, or to search for programs in your area go to www.thinkcollege.net. For an online clearinghouse go to http://www.heath.gwu.edu/.
Worried that your child won't be able to pass the SAT or the ACT? There are postsecondary programs which do not require these. Go to www.fairtest.org for some interesting reading about standardized testing.
Is money an obstacle? There is a federal loan program developed for students with intellectual disabilities. Click here to look at the colleges which participate in the federal financial aid program. There are also private resources for scholarships. One group, http://www.rubysrainbow.org/index.html has scholarships available for fall 2012. The National Down Syndrome Society awards post-secondary scholarships each year. Think about local civic or philanthropic organizations, too. |
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NDSC Convention News
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Can you believe we are less than two months away from our annual convention? Please note: registration for our Youth and Adults Conference has closed. As anticipated, we reached our capacity prior to the registration deadline, and are unable t o accept any more registrations. Two of our Kids' Camps sessions have also reached capacity. Visit our convention website regularly for the most up to date information.
Don't forget, to get the "best value" rates for the general convention, you must register by June 8.
We're working hard to have as many states represented at our advocacy Day on the Hill as possible, and need your help! So far, we have 34 states and Puerto Rico represented - which is awesome. But, if you're coming to the convention, and are from one of the following states, we REALLY want you to register: Alaska, Arkansas, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Maine, Mississippi, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Dakota, South Carolina, Utah, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. We need you! Registration for Day on the Hill is available at this link.
We have a couple of more exciting announcements to make about this year's convention. First, our Just Dance! event on Friday night promises to be as much fun as ever - but this year, we're giving our self advocates an opportunity to do more than "just dance". Watch your email for information about fundraising opportunities and prizes for the biggest fundraisers!
And the biggest news of all? For the first time ever, selected workshops will be streamed live for families and professionals who are unable to make the trip to Washington, DC. While we expect this year's convention to be one of our best attended ever, we are excited about the possibilities related to extending our reach even more! For a minimal fee, NDSC members will be able to take a peek into the largest gathering of its kind anywhere in the world. Stay tuned for details about the workshops chosen for streaming, and all of the details related to accessing the content on your computer. |
| More from World Down Syndrome Day, 2012 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The John Langdon Down Foundation in Mexico City celebrated World Down Syndrome Day with a commem orative series of stamps, as well as an art exhibition of the Mexican School of Down Art entitled "Stamps of the Soul." The celebration took place at the golden jewel of the historical center of Mexico City, the Post Office Palace (Palacio Postal).
The stamp's design is a painting named Butterfly, created by Lorena V�lez, one of the students at the Mexican School of Down Art and the photograph of Eduardo, the boy who inspired the creation of the John Langdon Down Foundation.
Professor Sylvia G. Escamilla, President & Founder of the John Langdon Down Foundation, along with Dr. Siegfried Pueschel, former NDSC President, will be presenting a workshop in Washington, DC in July. They will share goals and strategies for engaging self advocates in creative and artistic endeavors. Workshop participants will also have the opportunity to view many of the paintings, lithographs and engravings produced by Professor Escamilla's students. |
| Chilling with Chess ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We can 't tell you how happy we are with the newest addition to our staff, Chess Mitchell. As our office/social media assistant, Chess has been working on membership renewals, getting our brochures updated with our new address, and adding photos to our Facebook page.
While we're thrilled to have more help around the office, probably the best part of having Chess at the national center is his attitude. He's a real morale booster for the rest of us who tend to get in a bit of a rut with our daily routines. Chess is an ongoing reminder to us that there's satisfaction in a job well done. We look forward to you meeting him in person at our convention this summer!
Speaking of employment, you might find this article to be helpful, "Eight Effective Steps to Employment Success".
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And Another Thing or Two...
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1. Pick up copy of the May 21st issue of People Magazine, and look for the article about our friend, Tim Harris, and his restaurant "Tim's Place". Woo hoo!
2. Take part in a research project titled, "Spiritual Appraisals, Spiritual Struggles, and Growth in Parents of Children with Down Syndrome". For all the information related to this research project, please visit this page: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/DSParentsSurvey |
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| Contact Information
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