This conference is for ALL people with developmental disabilities and their friends, families, teachers, providers and allies. We want to share our enthusiasm for encouraging youth and adults with disabilities to speak up for themselves. As always, we will have 20+ different workshops about our experiences with self-advocacy.
I'm Determined
I'm Determined: A state directed project funded by the Virginia Department of Education, focuses on providing direct instruction, models, and opportunities to practice skills associated with self-determined behavior. This project facilitates youth with disabilities to undertake a measure of control in their lives, helping to set and steer the course rather than remaining the silent passenger. The focus is on self-advocating in a college environment. Each year there is a 3-day I'm Determined Event at a college in Virginia that includes a dorm experience, vendor tables, and sessions for students, parents, and educators.
They also sponsor MOVE: State leadership and mentors offer an annual event to young African American men with disabilities in grades 9-11. Students engage in activity-based learning to overcome barriers, become self-determined, and graduate high school to be college and career ready.
http://www.imdetermined.org/educators/educator_resource_submission/
Dressed for Success at Lyndon
So all of the College Steps at LSC students and several of the CS mentors volunteered to help career services with their big "Dressed for Success" event. They helped set up, participated in the event and than helped break it all down. Overall it was a wonderful event and their support was very helpful.
Living for Giving Event at NOVA
We are hosting a soccer tournament to support awareness for veterans with PTSD. We will be donating to an organization that uses Music Therapy as a way to cope with PTSD – The American Music Therapy Association.
Game Day at WCC
CS students and mentors set out to play "Apples to Apples" on Tuesday's Game Day at WCC.
Excitement and laughter built up as the game progressed and each tried to convince the "judge" and fellow players that their card was the "best pick"
Student Blog - Kalin
My name is Kalin, a student in the College Steps program attending a second semester for it at NCC. I recently attended a meditation event that happened to work out pretty well. There were actually several people that attend this event and it was very interesting to hear about what meditation is and why people should do it more often. My thoughts about the event though? I thought that it was pretty informational for what meditation was and I feel it’s one of the many ways to deal with everyday stresses in life itself. I myself do go through a lot sometimes but I know that there is still hope to be successful in life, especially for those that have a special gift as I call it that others should really see.
Thanks,
Kalin
Hand Print Your Identity
A student activity open to the campus at American International College was designed to have students use paint to make a handprint on a giant poster. Once pressed, the students could put down a single word that was associated as part of their identity. This was designed to be a physical representation of the similarities and differences of the people of AIC.
Birthright Trip to Israel - College Steps Student at AIC
Birthright Trip to Israel
A College Steps at AIC student went to Israel as part of the Birthright trip. He, along with 15 other students from across the nation, went on a 10 day trip across Israel. He went out in a group to prayer walls, synagogues, memorials, and went out into various towns and cities to partake in cultural experiences (restaurants, shops, markets).
Making Olive Oil
Career Fair at NCC
Students attended the career fair as a part of the Community Class. Students worked with College Steps staff to update and create resumes that they would be able to hand out to employers at the expo. Here is a list of some of the vendors that were present:
NCC’s Center for Career Development will host Career Expo 2017 where Ability Beyond, Aquarion Water Company of CT, Bright Horizons, Cotiviti, CT Army National Guard, Family Care Visiting Nurse, Mackey & Guasco Staffing, Mathnasium (The Math Learning Center), Securitas Security Services Inc., Stepping Stones Museum for Children, The Tempositions Group of Companies, TheraCare, Valet Park of America will be among those in attendance to provide information about their companies and accept resumes.
Ability Beyond is one of CT's leading non-profit agencies that supports adults living with developmental disabilities. Students were particularly excited to speak with the representatives of this agency.
Student Blog Post: Jacob
Hi. My name is Jacob. I'm a College Steps student at SVC, and I'd like to share my passion for making stories. As far as stories go, I prefer to tell them with an application I use called RPG Maker. As the name implies, it is software that allows one to create their very own video game in Role Playing Game fashion. The three games I am currently working on are titled Chronicles of the Dream, The Daemon War, and The Fall of the Executors.
Chronicles of the Dream is a game featuring a demon named Illikas Marshall Rager, a human with the power to control dreams, named Moxo Holly Guinevere, and a genocidal, cannibalistic villain named Terrance Geraldo as the main characters and villain, in that order. Below are a few screenshots of this game:
The Daemon War is another game featuring too many characters to include here, but the prime main character is named Command Sergeant Major Zin Quetzal. This game takes place in the year 2710, during a war that has lasted 200 years thus far, and takes place after the events of Chronicles of the Dream. Included below are some more screenshots of this game.
