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Check out what’s been going on in our world!
Check out what’s been going on in our world!
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has. Margaret Mead
100+ Women Who Care Regina are living into this quote and making a difference in our city.
Thank you to 100+ Women Who Care Regina for choosing Astonished! as their charity to support at their March 2017 meeting. We are honoured to be the recipients of their support. On April 12, 2017, Sharlene Arklie, Founder and Chair of 100+ Women Who Care Regina, presented a cheque for $16,100 to Bonnie Cummings-Vickaryous, Executive Director of The Big Sky Centre for Learning and Being Astonished! Inc. Sharlene Arklie said “Thank you for all of your hard work to empower the young adults of your organization to achieve. Your work is truly life-changing and inspirational!”
We are honoured that our work was chosen by these incredible women!
100+ Women Who Care Regina is a community organization located in Regina Saskatchewan. It brings together fabulous women from Regina and the surrounding area who care about their community. At their meetings, after hearing three charities tell them how they are working to improve our community, they jointly select a charity to support.
Thank you 100+ Women Who Care Regina, you are changing the world.
PHOTO: Bonnie Cummings-Vickaryous and Sharlene Arklie
Their time together begins with conversation. Kennen asks Jill how she is and what she has been doing. This evolves into more inquires about the status of Jill’s upcoming household move. Kennen brings her listening skills and her inquiring mind to her literacy session. Jill brings her love of supporting learning, and helping Kennen achieve her goals. Kennen and Jill are together because they are both good at asking and responding.
Jill Dempsey is an Arts Education student, with a focus on Visual Arts, at the University of Regina. Kennen Dorgan is a Student Researcher in the Astonished! Teaching and Learning Centre. They meet on a regular basis to strengthen Kennen’s literacy skills. Kennen wants to become skilled in reading and typing, with a specific goal in mind; she wants to be able to text with her sister Lynice who lives in Alaska.
Jill and Kennen’s relationship began with asking and responding. Kennen asked for assistance in literacy and this request was conveyed by e-mail from the Astonished! staff to University of Regina students. Jill saw the e-mail and thought this would be a good match for her. Jill had worked as an educational assistant in Lethbridge and she knows the importance of various forms of communication, including written literacy.
Kennen has this to say about her literacy sessions, ‘I like everything, and I am half-way to my goal.’
Thanks Jill and Kennen.
Photo: Kennen Dorgan and Jill Dempsey
April 23-29, 2017 is National Volunteer Week . Volunteers are essential to Astonished! and we want to celebrate our volunteers. Kaitlyn Hoar, Astonished! Student Researcher, is organizing our 2017 volunteer appreciation event. One of Kaitlyn’s goals is to expand her event planning skills so this is a perfect opportunity for her. Kaitlyn is teaming with Bonnie Cummings-Vickaryous, A! Executive Director, to plan and host a volunteer appreciation event Thursday April 27, 2017 from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm at The Owl at the University of Regina . When asked how she plans an event like this Kaitlyn responded that she begins at the end, imagining the event, who is there, what it looks, sounds, and feels like, what people are eating and drinking (in this case it will be appetizers and beer), and how much fun everyone is having. She then plans the details to make the imagined event a reality. When asked about her biggest challenge in planning an event, she responded ‘the budget’, this made us laugh as we can all appreciate this particular challenge. Thank you to all our Astonishing volunteers. Volunteers keep your eyes on your email for your invitation in early April.
We hope you will join us on April 27th.
PHOTO: Kaitlyn Hoar and Bonnie Cummings-Vickaryous
Amanda Mahoney is a graduate of the University of Regina (U of R) with a Degree in Kinesiology with a major in Human Kinetics. She is currently working on her Bachelor of Education (Middle Years) (U of R). Amanda realized she loved teaching kids how to be healthy and work-out, thus her commitment to a second degree. Kelsey Culbert is an Astonished! Student Researcher, and a student in the University of Regina Campus for All. Together they make a great team.
They meet weekly to work on two areas Kelsey has identified need strengthening: her comfort and competence with her new laptop, and her skills driving her power chair.
Kelsey was familiar and comfortable with her previous computer but when she upgraded to a new operating system she found it frustrating (many of us know how that is). Amanda and Kelsey work together to adapt the laptop to Kelsey’s needs, for example creating short-cuts on the desktop for the apps Kelsey uses regularly. Kelsey loves the portability of her laptop because she can now study anywhere.
They also practice wheel-chair driving on the track at the Paul Schwann Centre, University of Regina. Amanda says it is easy to team together because Kelsey is very clear about her needs. For example, Kelsey identified that she has problems staying to the right when she is driving so the track practice is helping her strengthen her driving skills.
Amanda is a volunteer with Astonished! but both Kelsey and Amanda say this is more like friends hanging out. Thanks Amanda and Kelsey.
PHOTO: Amanda Mahoney and Kelsey Culbert
Research can be a way of turning the gaze, with curiosity, toward some specific experience. Rhea Boysen is currently a graduate student at the University of Regina. As an undergraduate student in Kinesiology, Rhea did her mini practicum placement with Astonished!, and post graduation she was the Astonished! Interim Manager covering our Executive Director’s maternity leave. Over the course of four years Rhea established comfortable and trusting relationships with the A! Student Researchers, A! Board, and A! Staff. This comfort and trust is an important aspect of the research Rhea is currently doing with Astonished! When Rhea enters the room of the Yoga for Every Body project she enters as a welcome friend, not as a stranger. She brings a gaze that is accepted and welcomed.
As part of her Research Methods class Rhea is using the case study method to research the experience of young adults with disAbilities who are participating in the Yoga for Every Body project. Rhea says ‘My initial perceptions have all changed, I thought I had a pretty good idea of the lived experience of the Student Researchers but I realize there was so much I did not know and took for granted. For example, how sitting in a wheel-chair can create a sense of disconnection from the ground, and how the practice of ‘bone on bone’ can stimulate the bones, calm the body, and give a sense of connection and groundedness.’
We are all learning new things through this research project. As participants in the research A! Student Researchers are learning to turn their gaze with curiosity on their own inner experience as well as on their experience of being in the group. These are some things they have noticed:
Each week Ruth and Rebekah do one hour of planning in preparation for the yoga class. They are guided in this by the work of B.K.S. Iyengar. Ruth says to Rebekah ‘I can’t do Yoga for Every Body without you. You give me the authority. Everybody in the room is doing yoga, even though there are some assistants, this is a yoga practice for all, not a therapeutic session for some. Over time I can see everyone is moving into the ‘yoga zone’ more quickly.’
Thank you, Rhea, for doing this research with us, you are honouring each persons experience, acknowledging the expertise of the participants, and sharing this expertise with a wider community.
PHOTO: Rhea Boysen, Rebekah Lindenbach, Ruth Blaser
A! Core Members interested in the A! Summer Literacy 2017 must complete the Literacy Expression of Interest and return it to Bonnie Cummings-Vickaryous by March 31, 2017.
The A! Summer Literacy program is designed to explore and respond to the literacy strengths, dreams, and needs of Astonished! Core Members. Program content is shaped by the strengths, dreams, and needs of each participant. To begin, Astonished! staff work with each participant and those close to them to identify their ‘Literacy Strengths, Dreams, and Needs’. Example dreams might include developing literacy skills (reading, numeracy, technology, etc.), increasing literacy skills, or simply having more time to read and/or use various forms of technology. Based on the strengths, dreams, and needs expressed, program participants will be offered individualized opportunities and/or group opportunities. The program runs Wednesday and Thursday afternoons in July and August, plus optional Tuesday evenings. Please see the Expression of Interest for exact dates.
We work in inclusive community to address barriers facing young adults with complex physical disAbilities (core members) by creating opportunities for teaching and learning, social, recreational and cultural engagement, and for employment and housing.
The Big Sky Centre for Learning and Being Astonished Inc.
University of Regina
3737 Wascana Parkway
Regina, SK S4S 0A2
Phone:
Bonnie Cummings-Vickaryous, Executive Director, 306-737-9560
E-mail:
BCV@beingastonished.com