All Posts – Page 23 – The Big Sky Centre for Learning and Being Astonished Inc.

Summer Student Position

April 1, 2015/0 Comments/in News

Do you love people, technology, literacy, and learning? This could be the summer job for you. This is the third year for the Astonished Summer Literacy program and we are proud of the knowledge and skills we have developed together. The summer literacy program is designed to meet the specific strengths, dreams, and needs of the Core Members who participate in the program.

Astonished! is currently looking for a summer student to work with the Astonished! Program Coordinator to plan, implement, and evaluate our summer literacy program. This literacy program is open to all Astonished! Core Members and participation is limited to approximately 8 Core Members. The summer position would start the week of June 1st and would conclude the last week of August. Click here for job description and application. All applications due by April 24, 2015

Designing Together

March 28, 2015/0 Comments/in Student Researchers

What do you get when you take one Student Researcher, three Engineering students, two metal fabricators, and team them together in a design project? You get shared knowledge and expertise, you also get a remote control cup holder that works on a power wheel chair.

Fourth year Engineering students Marco Vargas, Mashari Alsulleman, and I.B. Alayyaf, and Astonished! Student Researcher Avery Ottenbreit (above photo), and Ian Matt and Mike McCormick of Anlin Welding and Steel Fabrication of Regina, created a unique remote control cup holder for Avery’s power chair.

Marco, Mashari, I.B., and Avery presented the design at the University of Regina’s annual Project Day. Click here to learn more about the process and the presentation. Thanks everyone for your shared work.

Susan Sorensen

March 25, 2015/0 Comments/in Donor of the Month

Edges and horizons have always fascinated me, lines that divide and lines that define. I live near the edge of the Astonished community. Long time friends have been midwives of this amazing vision. I listen from afar, and occasionally visit to receive stories of the struggles, the joys, the spirit and energy of this movement.

The Big Sky Centre for Learning and Being Astonished! How I love this name. Born from fierce love and passionate justice-making, Astonished continues to inspire awe and wonder. With a deep desire to create life-giving community, work and play for adult young people with complex physical disAbilities, this inclusive community is flourishing. It is enabling edges and horizons to shift and move and dance. The spirit shines in the photos on the website, the blogs, the stories online. It is abundantly clear that “dreams are being dreamed, strengths are being explored and the young adults with complex physical disAbilities are leading us all to a more authentically inclusive society”.

In the being/ the faces of all involved, but especially those of the core members, there is such an expression of groundedness and purpose. It is such a basic human need to know our place, to take our place and be affirmed in it. This is happening! And everyone who has been touched by Astonished is being encouraged to push edges, expand horizons and go further and deeper than we could ever have imagined.

This is why I have been a supporter of Astonished and will continue to be a cheerleader of this beautiful community.

Devising Inclusive Theatre

March 16, 2015/2 Comments/in Student Researchers

Kelsey Culbert, Astonished! Student Researcher is one of five students in the class “Devising Inclusive Theatre”. The University of Regina course is meant to teach people with disAbilities how to express themselves through theatre. It is a first for the University of Regina and a first for Kelsey. The class will have a performance on April 2 at the Shubox Theatre at the University of Regina. The students collectively wrote the piece that will be performed. To read more and listen to a CBC interview with some of the students please click here.

Oh What a Night

March 10, 2015/0 Comments/in Events

March 7th 2015 was full of fun and firsts. Our 3rd Annual fundraiser, Wings on Our Wheels ~ Astonished in Flight flew in on what seemed like the wings of spring. Guests arrived with happy greetings to one another; the vocal sounds of songstress Rebecca Lascue filled the room like a summer breeze; the children’s play space was a hum of activity; and everyone took to the silent auction tables like bees to nectar. The appetizers were both beautiful and delicious; the cupcakes were an art form. We were thrilled to launch the Astonished! Legacy Funds; special thank you to Barbara and Doug Mader, Rebekah Lindenbach, and Harvey Wagner for your part in launching these Funds. Check out the wonderful event photos by Tanys Rae Photography.

Thank you to everyone who made this evening such a great success.

Winter Games Rock

March 4, 2015/0 Comments/in Events

The Astonished Winter Games took on a creative flair under the leadership of sisters Sara and Sam Illerbrun, Kinesiology Students at the University of Regina. The gym was filled with laughter, as participants played crazy games like shaking ping pong balls out of a empty Kleenex box. Oh did we mention the Kleenex box was taped to the players waist like a fanny pack. Oh yes, and the fanny back Kleenex box was on the back, not the front! Some people had a real knack for the shake that was required to get the ping pong balls to fly out. It is great to team with the various University of Regina students who volunteer with Astonished.

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Summer Student Position

Designing Together

Susan Sorensen

Devising Inclusive Theatre

Oh What a Night

Winter Games Rock

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