DID YOU KNOW???
According to the U.S. Census, 5.9 million young people live with a disability! These are kids in your schools and communities. But, these students with disabilities often do not have the same positive school experiences as their peers without disabilities. Students with disabilities hold lower social-status than their typically-functioning peers and have significantly lower rates of participation in extracurricular and after-school programs than students without disabilities. Fewer than 1 in 7 individuals with a disability participate in the performing arts. YOU have the power to DO SOMETHING about this by starting a Unified Theater group in your school or community. Check out our website for more info: www.unifiedtheater.org
people impacted:
5,800people involved:
1,500Many of most formative experiences of my childhood were moments I spent with my cousin Kelsey. Kelsey, 22, has physical and developmental disabilities. She is a role model and inspiration to everyone she meets. She taught me to challenge definitions of ability, to take pleasure in uncomplicated joy, and to love and respect people for their abilities and character, not judge them for their disabilities or differences.
As a sophomore at Conard High School, I saw many opportunities for students with and without special needs to work together in athletics. There were no comparable inclusive opportunities in theater. When I didn’t get a part in a school play I had some free time and decided to start Unified Theater as a school club. Twenty of us rehearsed twice a week for six weeks. We performed our first student-developed show, “Songs of the 60s”, in February 2002. Much to our surprise (and delight) the small room we performed in overflowed with an audience of 200+. After that success and encouragement from school officials and community members, I incorporated into a 501c3 the following year. Conard’s program has grown to feature 200+ students in 2010. 9 other groups have started up in CT and RI
Not only did Unified Theater let me get to know students with and without disabilities in my school and enjoy putting together a show, but it was also my first real leadership position. I learned what it meant to be a student leader and how to lead my peers to engage in their schools and communities. You can do the same!!
We're going to start 325 new Unified Theater programs for middle and high school students by 2015. JOIN US! We're CALLING YOU to show your community what young leaders can achieve and to teach the value of ability over disability, creativity over conformity, and collaboration over competition. DO SOMETHING and become a Unified Theater student leader.
Start a group in your school or community!! We'll train & support you through the whole process.
visit www.unifiedtheater.org and click "Start a Group" or email us today contactus@unifiedtheater.org.
You can follow our blog (http://utblog.tumblr.com/) and become a facebook fan (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Unified-Theater/54689331694?ref=ts) for other news and updates!
If you're in the CT area - sign up to attend our Unified Theater Summit 2010: Creative Leadership in Inclusion. Registration scholarships are available and schools/students that attend are eligible to apply for start up awards to get their own Unified Theater initiatives off the ground.
Check it out: http://www.unifiedtheater.org/SummitRegistration.html
Questions: Contactus@unifiedtheater.org
Student Leader Ryan Leys and his Unified Theater group honored for best practices in inclusive education by Newport County Special Education.
The high school program in West Hartford had their largest turnout ever - over 200 students are involved this year in their show "Once Upon a Unified..." !
Congrats to the amazing 8 student leaders putting it all together and managing such a big group!
new programs running in Connecticut and Rhode Island... start a program in your school today!
Comments
My son has been involved in Unified Theater since 2007. It has helped with his communication and social skills. The typical students make sure that the students with special needs are highlighted and in the spotlight. This is a great idea and Micaela Connery deserves a lot of credit for starting this group.
My son is in the green shirt in the picture under "Additional people involved: 200".
Go Micaela and Unified!!!!!!!!!!!!