NEW UPDATE!!  PeerBuddies may offer scholarships starting March 2012!  Call Now to secure a spot!  805-620-7337.

PeerBuddies pairs children with special needs (autism, Asperger Syndrome, Emotional Disturbance, Down Syndrome) or social delays with typically-developing peer buddies who teach them social skills in fun, community-based settings.

The peer buddy is a child who is eager and excited to teach others and who is the same age or slightly older than the child with special needs. The program lasts 6 weeks, one hour per week, and every session is supervised by a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) with over 10 years experience working with children with special needs. The cost is $40/session, x 6 sessions, = $240.

Call now if interested in enrolling your child as either a participant (special needs) or buddy (typically-developing volunteer)!

For more information, visit www.peerbuddies.com or email elika@peerbuddies.com .  You can also call us at 805-620-PEER (7337). 

Boys and Girls ages 5 (as of May 1st) up to 22 years old (and still in high school) can NOW play Challenger Baseball at the Montalvo Little League Fields in Ventura.

The Montalvo Fields are located just behind the Boys and Girls CLub off of Johnson Avenue. 

Paula Howell, Director of the Miracle League in Ventura, will be working hand in hand with the MLL Board to launch this amazing program - providing weekly game play for children and teens with physical, developmental and intellectual challenges.

VOLUNTEERS and PLAYERS needed - Please SPREAD the WORD!

www.GoChallengers.org for information and forms.

Registered Ball players may participate in any of these programs in Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties:  Girsh Park in Goleta, El Caro Park in Carpinteria and Montalvo Little League fields in Ventura.

Teams for ALL levels of play - T Ball, Coach-Pitch, and Player Pitch.

Competitive and NON-comptetive teams

Wheelchair users included;  Handicap restrooms provided.

COME on out to the Ball Park and  PLLAAAAY BALL with us!

I'm excited to share this new video with you, IMPACT: Including Samuel - The Power of Youth. The eight-minute video is presented by the non-profit organization Working Films and The Fledgling Fund, and directed by Jeremy Levine of Transient Pictures.   "Including Samuel - The Power of Youth" brings you behind the scenes of the 2010 Youth Inclusion Summit, inspired and co-organized by the Including Samuel Project. Twenty teens from around the country converged on Washington, D.C. for the summit and created "I am Norm," a national youth-led campaign promoting the acceptance, respect and full inclusion of youth with disabilities in schools and communities. To learn how to use this campaign in your school, community or youth-serving organization, visit the I am Norm website and join theI am Norm Facebook group.  "I am Norm" exploded onto the national scene in 2011 with a viral video, media coverage and keynote presentations across the United States. "I am Norm" youth leaders have presented at national conferences hosted by TASH, Kids Included Together, Inclusion Works, PEAK, VSA and the Girl Scouts of the Nation's Capital. "I am Norm" was a central component of National Inclusive Schools Week, and thousands have used the campaign media, buttons and educational guide to promote inclusion and challenge the concept of 'normalcy' across the United States. That's the power of youth.

For more information about this project, and many others, please check out their website. Working Films - IMPACT

Brain Gym 101 Classes

Brain Gym is a practical and dynamic system that uses simple movements to integrate the functioning of the brain for greater learning and productivity. It offers specific activities that stimulate various areas of the brain to improve the ability to focus attention; enhance fine motor movement; heighten reading, math, and listening skills along with other personal and academic needs. The 26 Brain Gym activities and the Five-Step Process comprise the core transformational tools of this system.

WHO CAN BENEFIT – ALL ARE WELCOME

• Teachers, educators, health professionals, parents and others who wish to bring more ease and joy of learning to the children in their care, including those with behavioral or learning difficulties
• Professionals who wish to develop additional skills
• People of all ages who want to enrich their lives and improve their skills
• Those who want to relax as they experiences the changes in their lives

This course will teach you how to use the Brain Gym system to benefit yourself and others as you or they strive to remove internal blocks to reaching personal dreams. Upon completion of the Brain Gym 101 Course, participants receive a certificate of participation. This allows you to use the work with your family, friends, yourself and in your own field of work. It is the first step for all offerings of the Educational Kinesiology Foundation training program.

For more information, please look in the events posting or contact Julie Newendorp at mesajewel@cox.net.

"Life is rich, beauty is everywhere, every personal connection has meaning and laughter is life's sweetest creation". Seize the day! -One of Marcia Eichelberger’s favorite quotes