Moving Mentoring Forward: Expanding Access and Inclusion of Youth with Disabilities

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Assoc. Editor’s Note: The Center for Evidence-Based Mentoring is a proud supporter of the Highland Street AmeriCorps Ambassadors of Mentoring Program. The 2013-14 cohort of Ambassadors, in collaboration with Mass Mentoring Partnership (MMP) and Partners for Youth with Disabilities (PYD), have created the following training workshop that will take place in Boston, MA on June, 17th (Tuesday). Marty Martinez, CEO of MMP and Chronicle Editorial Board member, published an article highlighting the need for inclusive programming that features the work of Partners for Youth with Disabilities. More recently, Marty published an article that features how the Highland Street AmeriCorps Ambassadors of Mentoring Program and similar service fellowships help strengthen mentoring programs.  Both articles are recommended reading for this training workshop.
 
Expanding access and inclusion of
youth with disabilities

Date/Location:

Tuesday, June 17, 2014; 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., Project Hope, 550 Dudley St., Roxbury, MA

Registration fee (per person): 

$15; current AmeriCorps members and alums attend for free.

Did you know 1 in 5 people has a disability? Whether or not your program specifically targets youth with disabilities, your overall program outcomes will be more successful the more you know about how to best serve this population. This interactive training will help you learn how to adopt or expand an inclusive approach, including legal information, definitions, and statistics; disability etiquette and language; reasonable accommodations; and specific tips for inclusive programming.

 By the end of the workshop, you will:

  • Increase your understanding of mentees with disabilities (statistical outcomes, definitions, terminology, laws, experiences/personal accounts, etc.).
  • Define and explore reasonable accommodations, modifications, and inclusion.
  • Increase your knowledge of resources for mentees with disabilities.
  • Learn tangible next steps towards becoming a more accessible program, or inclusive of all abilities.

This training is best for: 

Any organization seeking to enhance a program to successfully serve youth with disabilities.
About the trainer:

Genelle Thomas, National Center director, Partners for Youth with Disabilities

 

With more than 16 years of experience in non-profit management, Genelle’s career highlights include helping launch the National Center for Mentoring Youth with Disabilities in 2005; co-authoring “Best Practices Guide for Mentoring Youth with Disabilities;” writing and publishing a White Paper for the U.S. Department of Labor, Office on Disability Employment Policy, “Aspire, Achieve, Empower: Important Steps for the Inclusion of Youth with Disabilities in America’s Mentoring Programs;” and presenting on issues related to mentoring, youth development, inclusion, and transition. She holds a B.A. in psychology and M.A. in educational psychology from University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a graduate certificate in non-profit management from Harvard University. Genelle was chosen as one of the Top 20 “Women of Influence” in 2011 and “40 Under 40” in 2012 by the Jacksonville Business Journal (Florida).

For more information about this training please contact Ariel Folkerts at 617.695.2440 or afolkerts@massmentors.org
 
Find more resources and training opportunities at

MSA logo  
Each year, the Highland Street AmeriCorps Ambassadors of Mentoring plan and execute an initiative to strengthen Massachusetts mentoring programs and create lasting results. With support from Mass Mentoring Partnership, the Ambassadors create unique and impactful projects ranging from match activity events to public awareness campaigns and organizational resources, and more. This year, in partnership with Partners for Youth with Disabilities, we are excited to bring a Disability Inclusion and Awareness training to the field of mentoring in Massachusetts.