Chief Inclusionista Blog
Inclusive Schools Week 2021
Here we are, folks. Finally, we made it to the most wonderful time of the year! Yes, it’s when all the big festive holidays converge on our calendar. But, I’m not talking about those holidays; I mean the annual celebration of Inclusive Schools Week! Each year, Inclusive Schools Network, a web-based educational resource for families,…
Read MoreHow The Pandemic Is Affecting The Disability Community
I’m finishing up my projects and getting ready to hang my “gone fishin”” sign on my proverbial door. Today is my husband’s last day of work before retirement, and we are headed out on a celebratory road trip. I am looking forward to a rest and a much-needed recharge. Before I go, though, I wanted…
Read MoreCelebrating Influential Women
Our February celebration of Black History Month was such a powerful and positive experience for the KIT team that we’ve decided to celebrate a different community’s contributions every month this year. We are focused on our mission of disability inclusion and want to amplify disabled voices and take an intersectional approach to this project. The KIT…
Read MoreIn Honor Of MLK Day
We are back at it after a long, restful break and into the new year. Coming up later this month (January 27th) is a webinar on Supporting Distance Learning in Your Program, geared toward after school programs that are hosting students for virtual school. See our KIT website or any of our social media accounts…
Read MoreFeeling Thankful
I’m in a grateful state-of-mind. My family celebrated Thanksgiving early so that we could see my mother-in-law before her assisted living facility closes up tight due to reimposed restrictions in California. She turned 97 last month. So, the chance to take her out of her facility and have a safe and physically-distanced Thanksgiving meal with…
Read MoreInclusion is the Guiding Light
I have a couple of good things to share, but first I need to rewind a bit. Back in May/June, Alissa Marotto, our Research & Evaluation Director, was working on a white paper for child & youth program administrators. She was writing about the post-quarantine return to the classroom. We’d been talking to our clients,…
Read MoreInclusion Advocacy Going Strong
Who could use a little good news? I know I could! To start, last week, we welcomed 4 new members to the KIT Board of Directors, which is great news! Our board members are effective champions for inclusion. Here are 2 timely examples: Inclusive Education News: Those of you who have been around a while…
Read MoreWalking The Path
Like many of you and the places you work, worship, recreate, and even shop, we’ve spent the past few months reckoning with our long legacy of racial inequity. As a team, we’ve been learning, reading, sharing, and planning. As Inclusionistas, we are committed to deeply understanding how race and other dimensions of diversity intersect with…
Read MoreGetting Back To What We Do Best
Finding Passion Please forgive me for skipping a week here and there. To be honest, some weeks during this pandemic, I have a hard time locating my passion. But… lately a few things have brought back that good old feeling! In 2014, I gave a TEDx talk called “Isn’t It A Pity?…
Read MoreKeeping The Inclusion Passion Virtually
At the risk of turning this space into my therapy session, I’ll say again that this pandemic is stressful. It keeps us Inclusionistas from doing what we do – getting ALL kids included in their schools and communities! I find myself very stressed about how schools and programs are going to safely re-open, and I…
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