Check in and check it out!

Hello out there! 
Long time! We at the A!TLC figured that we had better Check In* with you folks! 

For the past few A!TLC sessions, we have been chipping away at Filmpossible (http://www.filmpossible.ca/hollandbloorview), an online video contest that brings visibility to disability. We are looking back at our childhood adventures to show viewers all of the POSSIBILITY. Kennen will complete a photography assignment today will help us to complete this goal. We are camera ready! 

Kennen the photographer with Ella

Submission deadline is May 28th. Wish us luck! 
Last week, we were delighted to go on location to Riffel High School to take in their production of "Seussical" , a musical based on the books of Dr Seuss. It was a lovely time filled with lively performances. Keep up the good work, Riffel. And thanks so much for the invite! 
This weekend, many of us Student Researchers will attend the Astonished! Annual General Meeting (THIS Saturday, May 24, 3:00 - 5:00 @ 177 Sunset Drive) - hearing all of the great things that have gone on at the A!TLC this year will feel really good. PLUS it is an excellent chance to see old friends, eat delicious snacks, and be merry! Huge thanks to all of the supporters that make our time at the A!TLC possible. It means the world. 
Thank you so much for reading! And don't be afraid to Check In with us, once in a while. We would be delighted. :) 

*A daily Check In is how we begin each A!TLC day, btw. It is a chance for each person in the room to tell a story and set their tone for the day. It is a wonderful routine, we must say! 

Lovely April

Hello out there!

Hope everyone is having a lovely April so far. Things at the A!TLC are going along nicely!
Today the group is split, as some of our A!TLC gals are attending the CPA's "Discovering the Power in Me" workshop at the Wascana Rehabilitation Centre. Kesley and Avery have each taken this workshop already (and highly recommended it to the others!), and will spend the day with regularly scheduled programming at the University. Here, Avery might spend some time prepping for her highly anticipated trip to Mexico and Kelsey might work on some practice speeches for Toastmasters, a public speaking organization that she is soon becoming a member of....
Something that we are all really EXCITED about is happening TOMORROW at Rebekah's house (thank you so much to our lovely hostess and her roommates!). Why are we on location at Rebekah's place? We are going to celebrate all of the successes that Kennen has made to date with her transition plan from Grenfell High School to A!TLC. It is going to be a wonderful time and a great reason to have a party! Kennen, we are so proud of you and all of your hard work.
Next week we are going to cheer on our friends at the U of R's Campus For All program at their year-end showcase. More huge accomplishments,here! Congratulations to all of the CFA students on their achievements this year and thank you so much for the invite! 
The last official day of our Winter 2014 A!TLC Semester is on May 1 (we know, we know, it has been officially SPRING for a while now!) and we are going to mark it with an off-campus lunch + a shopping excursion to celebrate! Looking back on all the good things that we have done, makes us really pumped for the Spring 2014 Semester to begin...fortunately there is no real time to wait - Spring 2014 Semester begins May 6th! ;) 

Thank you for reading, folks! 

Hello to spring and goodbye to a few wonderful volunteers!

Hello out there!

Well, it finally happened, honest-to-goodness, springtime weather has hit Regina (touch wood)! We at the A!TLC have dreams of some sunny outdoor field trips dancing in our heads. There is lots to look forward to and we are excited for a change of pace. One thing that we are not looking forward to this week, however, is saying goodbye (for now!) to some truly incredible volunteers that we were fortunate to have with us for the Winter 2014 Semester.
Angel Genreux, our SW practicum student has done some amazing work with us these past few months and we are sad to see her go! Thank you, Angel and hope to see you again real soon!
We also had Rheanne Gerwing, Cassandra Hanley, and Gabriela Camalari regularly attending A!TLC Sessions and A! Social Club events as part of their ECS 200 Volunteer Experience. What fine young women they are! It was a pleasure to have them on board. AND we also were delighted to have repeat volunteers in Tara Lazurco and Jasmine Gerein, wonderful faces that we hope to see in A!TLC for many semesters to come. Truly we have lucked out!
This week will be busy - we have the aforementioned farewells, plus Inclusion Cafe, PATH Work, party and field trip planning, and  a presentation to give on April 10th! We would like to wish Kennen a very happy belated 22nd birthday (it was on April 6!) and Kelsey a happy belated 21st birthday (it was April 7!). April is a great month for great people to be born.
Thanks for reading and enjoy the sunshine!

Lots to be thankful for AND lots to look forward to!

Hello out there!

Let's catch up.... 
Well, we at the A!TLC have been having a very good time, indeed!
First, can we talk about the whirlwind that was our 2nd Annual Fundraiser? We worked hard in the weeks (ok , months!) leading up to this event - we were so eager to give everyone a wonderful experience! On March 8th, 2014, the wings on our wheels were out in full force - a room filled with excellent people, captivating entertainment, lively fundraising activities, and delicious food. And we did not even mention the dance, hosted by our great Core Members! The dance playlist was selected by our A! Leadership Team....Kaitlyn made darn sure that Beyonce's "Single Ladies" was one of the first songs to play! All in all, we had a fantastic time (Ella: "Kelsey, what was your favorite part of the fundraiser?" Kelsey: "OMG, everything!" )and cannot begin to tell you just how grateful we are for such outstanding community support. Thank you, Thank you, THANK YOU!
Following our fundraiser, things did not slow down at the A!TLC....not by a longshot! We have kept up with a real steady routine (we love our regular book club, To do lists, PATH Wednesdays, Techno Thursdays, AND a little thing called Inclusion Cafe!) and new (and old!) things keep on being added to the mix. In the next few months we will be working with Dr Brenda Rossow-Kimball to prepare a workshop on Inclusive Education for the University of Regina's Centre for Teaching and Learning AND will be delivering our classic Barriers and Enablers presentation in Kin 120 on April 10th! There has also been talk about our Student Researchers assisting one of our volunteers with her end of semester presentation, but we will keep you posted on that! Kennen, Kaitlyn, and Rebekah are excited to be attending a profound workshop, "Discovering the Power in Me", that is being put on by the Canadian Paraplegic Association over three sessions on April 16, 23, & 30. Kelsey and Avery have each attended this workshop in the past and highly recommended it to the rest of the ladies!  
That's all for now! We would like to close this blog entry by giving a huge CONGRATULATIONS to Kennen Dorgan for finishing up her job at Grenfell High School on March 28th. Everyone is so excited to celebrate with you, Kennen. 

Take good care. 

Cheers to Inclusion Cafe!

Hello out there!

It has been a while since we have blogged and what better time to pick it up again than on location at the Owl for Inclusion Café! A big cheers to that, folks!

We had a nice and relaxing Reading Week break (Feb 17 - 21) but were excited to get back at it! The 25th was a huge day for all A!TLC Student Researchers.... Kennen had a big photo shoot session with her photography mentor, Brenda AND her incredibly talented sister, Tanys! The trio snapped some incredible shots and Kennen learned some valuable tips (like "the rule of three"!). Amazing work.

Tanys and Kennen perfect i-Phone
camera and remote - see below for the
photo they created!

Meanwhile, the rest of the A!TLC went to represent a the U of R's second annual Poetry Slam. What an experience! We were delighted to be invited, and to be in the presence of some truly remarkable poets. Kelsey really did us proud by reading a classic revenge love poem written by all of us in the A!TLC. She got lots of applause and a few laughs! Awesome. 

Wednesday was an extremely productive day of PATH work and marked the welcome return of the lovely Avery Ottenbreit. What a pleasure!!!! We were so happy to see you, Avery.
A lovely face that we have been missing this week has been Rebekah's...we have missed you!!!!! Rest up, stay cozy and feel better soon (kick that cold's butt!). And also, congratulations on becoming an auntie yet again. WOW! Congrats to all Lindenbachs, really!

Brenda is so pleased with her portrait by
'sister photographers' Kennen and Tanys

Today is yet another cold day but we are happy to be nice and warm and together at the Owl. Life is goooooood. Thanks for reading and take care. Next week will be major crunch time for our fundraiser happening NEXT Saturday night - March 8th. OMG  Super excited! (there are still a few tickets available if you are interested! check out our website http://www.beingastonished.com/)

This and that and this!

Hello out there!

Hope that everyone is keeping warm  (or doing their very best!)!
Lots to do with our to-do lists....lots of fun things! Rebekah is excited to have some Spanish lessons on her list - to learn at least four words/session with the lovely tutor Silvia (with some help from the wonderful Spanish speaking Gabi!). Kennen is busy searching for some photographic inspiration (and coming up with some great ideas!) and Kelsey and Kaitlyn have some major work to do with their Kin 120 presentation on February 13th. It will come together nicely, we are sure!

Today was filled with PATH work and also some epic tangents - ever wonder how everyone at the A!TLC got their name? We no longer have to! :)   And now that we are name experts, Adam and Brit, if you are looking for any suggestions, we are ready for ya!
We also learned that there is a yogabiebs classs offered in Toronto - Yes, this is yoga inspired by the soothing pop hits of Justin Beiber. Thanks, but no thanks. We will have to pass on this one!
This week is a bit of an Inclusion Cafe dry spell....we are caught between the fifth Thursday of January and the first Thursday of February....looking forward to some pub fun next Thursday, February 13th.


Thanks so much for reading and take care!

Finishing up UN day questions (at last!)

WRITTEN ON THURSDAY, JANUARY 24

Hello out there!

We have had a wonderful week at A!TLC and are happy to report that we finally had the chance to finish part two of Kennen's PATH!  We have a lot of work ahead and a whole lot to look forward to. The A!TLC crew is so excited to help you reach all those great goals you set, Kennen!

It's that time again! We have an Inclusion Cafe today....rough lives, we know! Rebekah, we will miss you as our server today! BUT before we head down to the pub, Kelsey and our awesome winter 2014 practicum student, Angel are going to teach us a lesson for our Techno Thursday!

And one more thing!
As promised, here are the last of our UN day questions:

What types of programs does Astonished! have?

We offer 4 programs, including this one - The A!TLC....
 Here, Astonished! staff work to support each Student Researcher as they each determine and navigate a PATH (Planning Alternative Futures with Hope) unique to them. Here, young adults with complex physical disAbilities are leadersand work with faculty, students, and the wider community in research, learning, and teaching about inclusion.

The Astonished! Social Club: 
The Astonished! Social Club is a monthly recreation, leisure, or social gathering for Core-Members, families, and friends. Astonished! contracts with a 5 member team of vibrant young adults with and without complex physical disAbilities to plan and carry out inclusive, social, recreational, and cultural events for young adults with complex physical disAbilities and the wider community. The Social Club offers a wide variety events, such as an upcoming Spa Night on January 31 and  Cougar Hockey Games on February 7 & 8!

Communication Technology and Literacy:
Our Communication Technology and Literacy program works to to enhance inclusion opportunities with young adults who do not have easy spoken language.
On June 18th, 2013 we began a summer pilot program to explore the literacy strengths, dreams, and needs of our Astonished! Core Members. This Literacy Program was a great success...and FUN! The Astonished! Team is looking forward to offering this program again in summer 2014. 

Mentorship for Employment:  
Astonished! is partnering with public funding organizations to support the employment dreams of our core members. Our first initiative was with our Face Book manager, Ryan Ross and we are establishing a process for further mentorship opportunities.
Why did you choose Astonished (to come to the A!TLC)?
"It seemed like the right fit for me".
"The A!TLC tries to give you the foundation you need to help you do the things you want to do".
 "It is great to see all of the opportunities that A!TLC can provide me with"
The A!TLC provides programming that aims to be truly individualised.
The content and activities that take place in the A!TLC are age-appropriate and aimed at helping each Student Researcher reach their goals. The A!TLC sees great value in the importance of being social....a chance to go for coffee or to the University pub for Inclusion Café is a vital part of the post-secondary education experience! 

For Kennen, Rebekah, and Kelsey - How did you become mentors in SW 479 for the fall 2013 semester?

Kaitlyn led the way! We were all impressed with Kaitlyn's experience as a mentor in fall 2012. Kaitlyn was able to deliver a presentation, make some great friends, and even make a little money in her mentorship role! We were offered the gig by SW 479 prof. Randy Johner . Randy was wonderful and quick to set our minds at ease and make us feel good about being mentors.
Everyone did good work...and a huge shout out goes to Rebekah for going to the front of the class to deliver a presentation for the very first time!