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Don't miss out on this latest incentive!
CALLING ALL COFFEE LOVERS!
There’s something magical in the way that coffee can brighten our morning mood and give us the spark to seize the day!
Check out this handpicked incentive just for you!

Barista-quality performance with touch screen display, pre-programmed cafe drinks menu and automatic milk texturing. A built-in grinder delivers the right amount of ground coffee on demand and with a 3 second heat up time, you go from bean to cup, faster than ever before. Intuitive touch screen display simplifies how to make your favorite cafe coffee in 3 easy steps - Grind, Brew and Milk.

February

  • February 1 - iCan Work! - volunteers needed
  • February 3 - Bowling Committee Meeting
  • February 8 - Mom's Night IN - help needed!
  • February 8 - iCan Work! - volunteers needed
  • February 10 - Anne of Green Gables at the Orlando Rep
  • February 10 - iCan Work! - volunteers needed
  • February 12 - iCan Work! - volunteers needed
  • February 16 - 10th Annual Tour of Champions Bowl-A-Thon
  • February 21 - iCan Work! - volunteers needed
  • February 22 - Go Baby Go! and iCan! Programs at UCF
  • February 28 - iCan Work! - volunteers needed
  • February 29 - iCan! Programs at UCF

March

  • March 7 - Children's Clinic
  • March 12 - OCPS Parent Advisory Council Meeting 
  • March 16 - Summer Scholarships Open
  • March 16 - Pete the Cat at the Orlando Rep
  • March 21 - World Down Syndrome Day

April

  • April 1-3 - Neurodevelopmental Programs
  • April 13 - Disney's Freaky Friday at the Orlando Rep

July

  • July 19 -24 - iCan Bike Camp



Don't want to miss out on our events?
Click  here !
Sunday, February 16, 2020
1:30pm - 4:00pm
Boardwalk Bowl Entertainment Center 
10749 East Colonial Drive, Orlando, FL 32817
$321 minimum entry donation required per TEAM 
 (up to five individuals bowling)
This includes any funds raised by the TEAM MEMBERS.
LET'S GET THE BALL ROLLING!

Let's get to work on raising $321,000 by 2/16/20!

Thank you for all of your hard work and dedication!
Here's how:
More ways to pitch in!
FRIENDS OF THE FOUNDATION Team  is a virtual team we have created for anyone who cannot make it to the event on 2/16. We'd love if you would share the incentives with friends and family even if you can't join us! Every little bit gets us closer to our goal!
In honor of our 10th anniversary, our goal is to raise an amount meaningful to our community: $321,000. These funds are poured back into our members through scholarships, events, and programs! Help us reach this goal and in turn, serve this wonderful community as we have for the past 10 years!
GO Baby Go!
Date:  Saturday, February 22nd
Time:  10am
Location:  UCF Morgridge International Reading Center (MIRC) located inside the University of Central Florida

The Down Syndrome FOUNDATION of Florida, Orlando Health and UCF Go Baby Go! are partnering to provide several Go Baby Go! cars to our members. The best part is that these cars will be assembled by our members age 10-15 who are participating in our iCan Excel class. What a great way to give back to the community! If your son/daughter meets the following requirements we hope you will consider applying:

  - Is between the ages of 6 months and 5 years old
  - Can sit supported for 10 to 15 minutes
  - Can see
  - Can hold his/her head up by himself/herself
  - Can use two hands to hold a toy
  - Parent/Guardian is able transport the built car home following the event

Space is limited, so apply today! 
iCan Work employee application is OPEN!
JOIN
US!
Have a son or daughter who is 18 or older that would like to apply to gain meaningful job experience?

We are currently accepting applications from our members who are interested in being a part of our iCan Work! program.
They'll be involved in:

  • Working during Orlando Magic games at the Amway (Levy restaurant)
  • weekly lunch and learn training sessions
  • Additional OTJ hours

* Candidate must be a high-school graduate and available days and evenings.
Calling all members!

Looking for ways to meet your requirement of being an active member?

Here’s your chance!

Volunteers contribute actual dollars to The FOUNDATION by donating their time in a fun and exciting environment. In addition, if you volunteer for five or more games you will meet your requirement of being an active member for the year.

Know someone perfect for this opportunity, but they're not a member? Not a problem! All volunteers are welcome!

Please see our upcoming volunteering opportunities below:
Volunteers must be 18 years old or older.
After you sign up, we will send you an email with all of the details. Thank you - we cannot run our iCan Work program without awesome volunteers like you! If you cannot attend, please spread the word by sharing our post!
Mom's Night IN
Join us on the lake for cocktails and mom time! After enjoying dinner and drinks at Christie's, we'll put together auction items for the Bowl-A-Thon!

Where : Christie's house (off Lake Georgia, near UCF))
When : Saturday, February 8, 2020
Time : 4:30pm - 8:00pm

Cost : Dinner and drinks provided by The Foundation! Just bring a little something to contribute to the auction - a gift card, a basket, a cool experience, etc!
Anne of Green Gables
Join The FOUNDATION at the theater!

When : Monday, February 10, 2020
Where : 1001 E Princeton St, Orlando, FL 32803
Time : 10:30am
Cost : $5 per ticket (Total cost is $12/ticket, The FOUNDATION will cover $7!)

About the play: In this faithful dramatization by R.N. Sandberg of the beloved classic by L.M Montgomery, Marilla and her brother Matthew request an orphan boy to help work their farm. They are mistakenly sent the high-spirited red-head named Anne Shirley. Knowing they are ill-equipped to raise a girl, Marilla attempts to send Anne back to the orphanage. With Matthew lobbying to keep Anne, Marilla ultimately agrees to let her stay at Green Gables. The trials and tribulations Marilla fears come to pass, but she and Matthew admit Anne is the best thing that ever happened to them, and Anne comes to understand she is a loved and worthwhile person.
Children's clinic
Special Clinic for Special Kids!
Free clinic for children with Down syndrome
Join us Saturday, March 7, 2020 for the 27th Annual Down Syndrome Clinic!
WHO : Individuals with Down syndrome, ages 18 and younger
WHAT : Free medical screening and mini consultations with health professionals and community resources
WHEN : Saturday, March 7, 2020 8:30am – 12:30pm
WHERE : Howard Phillips Center for Children & Families 601 W. Michigan Street, Orlando, FL 32805 Space is limited!

Please register online or call us at (321) 843-3270

World Down Syndrome Day
Save the Date!
3/21/2020
Neurodevelopmental Programs
A Neurodevelopmental Approach to Learning
and Developmental Challenges

Neurodevelopmentalist, Kay Ness, will be in town April 1-3rd. Apply for scholarships below!


For over 60 years, the neurodevelopmental approach to working with learning, mobility, speech, language, processing and attention deficits has been offering hope to parents of children who have received a variety of labels. Whether the label is ADD, ADHD, dyslexia, learning disabled, CAPD, PDD, autism or Down syndrome, it doesn’t matter. Individuals trained in the neurodevelopmental approach look at the root causes, develop a program that addresses the root causes, train the parents to work with their child at home to address these areas and also accelerate academics to help the child maximize their potential.

Florida’s CEC Division of Career Development and Transition (DCDT)


The DCDC VISIONS Conference is offering scholarship opportunities for parents and guardians of individuals with unique abilities to attend the VISIONS XXVII Conference

When : April 15-17, 2020
Where : Sheraton Orlando Lake Buena Vista Resort

Time is of the essence, as the application window is short - closing March 3, 2020 .
 
Eligible Applicants  must be from one of the four categories below.

  • teachers and support staff (therapists etc.), 
  • family members, 
  • college students (undergraduates and graduates in the field of students with disabilities),
  • self-advocates.
 
Applications close  March 3, 2020.  
T21 Social Network (18+), Club 321, Play Date, Parent Meeting
Attention Parents, Club 321 and T21 participants


In lieu of our regular monthly get together, this month we encourage you to join us at our annual Tour of Champions Bowl-A-Thon on Sunday, February 16th. 

If you would like to create a team please visit:  https://secure.qgiv.com/event/touocha202/

We hope to see you there!
Bike Camp Registration is opening in MARCH!
It's almost time to register for
The FOUNDATION'S 
9th Annual iCan Bike Camp!

The FOUNDATION is partnering with iCan Shine and their iCan Bike program to teach 40 individuals with unique abilities how to "lose the training wheels" in just 5 days.
These spaces fill up fast so if you are planning to attend this year, don't miss out. This camp has been one of the most rewarding programs for parents, participants and volunteers as you get to watch someone go through a rite of passage--learning to ride a bike.  
Where:
Orange County Convention Center
9400 Universal Blvd.
Orlando, FL 32719 

When:
Sunday, July 19 - Friday, July 24, 2020

The Down Syndrome Foundation of Florida partners with iCan Shine to bring Central Florida much more than just a bike-riding program. The mission of this camp is to teach individuals with Down syndrome and other unique abilities to ride a conventional two wheel bicycle and become lifelong independent riders. This achievement, in turn, creates a gateway of opportunity, helping them gain assurance and self-reliance in many other aspects of their lives. For many people, it’s a seemingly impossible task to master but with this program 80% of the participants usually do it in less than a week’s time. If your son/daughter is over 8, you don't want to miss this life changing opportunity.
Stay tuned for upcoming registration information
Special Olympic Central Florida 2020 Triathlon Season Information
IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING 2020 RACES!

All 2020 races will take place at Lake Louisa State Park in Clermont. 

Athletes pay full cost, but Unified Partners will race for free!

2020 races are as follows:

  • March 21 - Wildman Festival
  • May 9 - Spring Fling Festival
  • June 20 - Father's Day Triathlon Festival (We hope to make this an Invitational and invite Special Olympic athletes from other counties to compete.)
  • August 22 - Believe Strong Triathlon (The championship race!)
 
Go to this website for more information about the races:  http://www.epicsportsmarketing.com/our-races
 
Athletes/Family member s - Please let Wynne McFarlin know if your athlete plans to participate in any or all of the races this race season. 

Contact information: Wynn McFarlin - 407-928-4336
Technology Tip and Tricks
What is assistive technology?
Assistive technology (AT) is any item, piece of equipment, software program, or product system that is used to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of persons with unique abilities.

This technology also helps people who have difficulty speaking, typing, writing, remembering, pointing, seeing, hearing, learning, walking, and many other things. Different unique abilities require different assistive technologies.

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and to stay updated on our upcoming events!