Back to school and better than ever!
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Choose TNP this #GivingTuesday
We're back in full swing with more than 4,000 students participating in The Nora Project this year. All 210 classrooms are off to a fantastic start! And would you believe it, we've already received inquiries from more than 35
new
schools interested in
our programs
for next year. We want to work with them all, but to do that, we need your help.
Which is why we're excited to be launching our 2019 Annual Giving Campaign on #GivingTuesday. This year, our fundraiser will focus on how the choices we make today will impact the world we live in tomorrow.
So as the 2019 giving season rolls in and the 2020 campaigns pick up steam, we ask you to join us in taking a stand, making a difference, and choosing TNP!
For simple instructions on how to set up your #
ichooseTNP
page and tips for making your fundraiser a success, click
here
.
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Special Kids Foundation Grant Award
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We're so proud to be among the recipients of the 2019 Special Kids Foundation grants! Special Kids Foundation supports organizations making a positive impact in the lives of children with developmental disabilities. We're one of just a handful of non-profits to be recognized as a Special Kids Foundation grantee this year. See the news coverage,
here
!
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Our annual Garden Party was held on August 25th at Fields BMW Northfield. The event was hosted by Linda and Richard Price, and Rob Johnson, television journalist, was the event’s Emcee.
More than 400 guests walked the green carpet and enjoyed live bluegrass music, garden-themed lite bites, and a specialty end-of-summer lemonade bar sponsored by Tito’s Handmade Vodka. A presentation featuring Miguel Cervantes of Chicago's Hamilton and award-winning Nora Project teacher Alexander Parker of Cossitt Elementary School gave attendees insight into the mission and impact of The Nora Project’s suite of empathy and disability awareness programs. Through a Golden Ticket Raffle, paddle raise, and live auction, we exceeded expectations and raised a record-breaking $350,000!
Funds raised will support coaching and professional development for our teachers, supplies for classrooms, the creation and implementation of new community programs, and life-changing experiences for our participating students.
We are so grateful for everyone's support!
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What do we
really
mean when we say "inclusion is for everyone?" We know what The Nora Project means by everyone--people of all races, nationalities, religions, genders, sexual orientations, and abilities--but it seems our definition of "everyone" and the definition applied by the greater education community may still be somewhat at odds.
Nora Project Senior Program Director, Katy Fattelah, takes a deep dive into why so many educators continue to ignore disability as a category of human diversity, and the implication of doing so on all students and schools. She also offers tips on how to approach education with an ability inclusive mindset.
To read Katy's article, click
here
.
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In July, we hosted the second annual Nora Project Training Camp presented by Discover and sponsored by William Blair, Steve and Jaclyn Maletzky, and Mesirow Financial. It was an incredible success as you'll see from our video!
We hosted advocate, blogger, and viral Ted Talker
Heather Lanier
as our Keynote Speaker, and our program team trained more than 120 educators from 7 states and 2 countries on our best-in-class empathy and inclusion curriculums. Our volunteers packed classroom kits for all of our participating schools and had a chance to receive inclusion training themselves. We even held our first parent outreach luncheon. Thank you to everyone who participated!
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Introducing Inclusion 101: A basics course for adults
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We're thrilled to announce that after hearing from many adults that they, too, need inclusion training, our Program Team has created an Inclusion 101 course! The course, which covers some of the basics we teach our students, can be delivered by anyone from our amazing
Program Team
in a fun and interactive 45-minute session.
Early feedback on the material has been outstanding:
“I definitely feel more equipped to not only talk about disability with my kids (and my own adult inner dialogue) but more confident that I'll choose words/phrases that are intentional and educated."
"Thank you for verbalizing that having open conversations in a respectful and inclusive way is important because kids (and adults) are curious about all types of human variation and I believe that's a good thing. Many of the lessons from this event can be applied to the importance of having conversations about other aspects of life and human difference, as well.”
We would love to bring this course to your PTA, place of worship, company, or wherever you'd like to have us. If you're interested in learning more or would like to schedule this training, please contact Director of Lifecycle and Community Program, Courtney Adams, at
[email protected]
.
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Other Exciting News from TNP!
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TNP Administrative Coordinator, inclusion advocate, and mom extraordinaire
Rebecca was honored in recognition of her superior work for children with disabilities and their families. Congratulations, Rebecca! We are so lucky to have you on our team!
Learn more
about Rebecca, this special nomination, and the other winners.
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Volunteers are so important to us! Leslie Schloss has been with The Nora Project for a long time now, and each year she takes on more and more responsibility! There is nothing Leslie isn't willing to do to lend a hand.
Growing up with epilepsy, Leslie learned first hand the importance of empathy and making other feel like they belong. As a Nora Project volunteer, Leslie does everything from planning friendship events to creating custom get well packages for our friends in need. She is a star.
Hear from
Leslie
in her own words about
why she's proud to be a TNP volunteer!
Thank you for all you do, Leslie!
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Check out our
events page
for information about our free community friendship events sponsored by Discover, fundraisers, parent informational events, conferences, and more!
Check back often, we add new dates all the time!
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This Saturday, November 9th, we're partnering with Monica + Andy for an inclusive playdate for our little learners at the grand re-opeining of Monica + Andy's guideshop in Oakbrook. Details to left and linked
here
!
Follow us on our social media pages for the most up-to-date Nora Project News!
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