In April of 2017, the children’s television show, Sesame Street, introduced Julia, a muppet with autism. The show’s autism awareness initiative carried the theme: See Amazing in All Children. Thank you, Sesame Street, for continuing to introduce characters with differing abilities! As an educator of twenty years, I continue to strive to see the amazing…
“I believed in the possibilities of healing despite what the doctors said. I held on to hope,” Kesi* shared. Kesi’s diagnosis at age twenty-eight threatened to derail her childhood dreams of performing. When Kesi was four years old, she used her jump rope handle as a mic and sang for anyone who would listen. Performing…
Just like most newlyweds, Kimberly* and Greg dreamed of a family. About the time they decided to start trying, Kimberly noticed she was spotting between periods. Her gynecologist suspected it was an infection and asked her to wait three months for it to clear up. Once the inflection was gone, they were blessed to become…
“My passion is getting children excited about reading,” Stan Tucker of Leap for Literacy shared. “Reading is a critical skill for success.” Learning to Read His time in the classroom opened his eyes to the struggle some students have when learning to read. “I planned five different reading lesson plans for the students in my…
“When I couldn’t read the questions on the basic exam at boot camp, I knew I could no longer hide my functional illiteracy,” Cathie* remembers. * Her real name is used with permission. Functional illiteracy is defined as reading and writing skills that are inadequate to manage daily living and employment tasks that require reading…
Illiteracy is a worldwide crisis. It affects you. And me. When men, women, and children cannot use printed and written information to function in society, achieve their goals, and develop their knowledge and potential, every single human on the planet is impacted. On this International Literacy Day, Kofi’s words continue to ring true. 750 Million…
“When my will to live outweighed my will to die, everything changed,” Donna* shared. “I finally realized I was spiritually sick. I needed God in my life.” * Her real name is used with permission. When My Addiction Started Donna’s parents divorced when she was twelve. By thirteen, she was smoking pot and drinking alcohol…
“For many years, the voice in my head convinced me the sexual molestation happening to me was my fault,” Nicole* shared. Her perpetrator, a family member, began abusing her when she was five years old. She knew it was wrong, but his intimidation and control were threatening enough that Nicole stayed silent. Nicole withdrew and…
June is Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month. You may be thinking, I really don’t need to know about this disease. I’m young. My brain is sharp. I’m healthy. While those facts may be true, awareness may be what extends your life down the road. So, read on! Just the Facts With 5.8 million Americans living…
“Keep moving forward.” That’s been one of Kirstie Ennis’ mantras for years. Just days ago, Kirstie and her team missed summitting Mount Everest by a little over 500 feet. While some would have pushed ahead that last 500 feet, Kirstie’s gained wisdom from her previous climbs and knew the risk of danger and/or death outweighed…