Blog – Page 8 – The Big Sky Centre for Learning and Being Astonished Inc.

Welcome Dr. Chelsea Temple Jones

December 12, 2018/0 Comments/in Research

Dr. Chelsea Temple Jones makes her home between Regina and Toronto with family in both places. She is currently working at the University of Regina on a two year post doctoral project: The VOICE Lab (Vocally Oriented Investigations in Creative Expression) will be a studio space where people with disabilities can think about and develop methods of creative self expression while having the support of people and technology. The project is a partnership between the Faculty of Media, Art, and Performance (MAP); the Faculty of Social Work; and Astonished! Inc.

Originally from Regina Chelsea has a strong commitment to doing this research in Saskatchewan. Saskatchewan has historically been a place where there is under-funding of disability art and culture. The VOICE Lab will make a significant contribution to the art and culture knowledge that is created by people with disabilities.

Chelsea brings her background in journalism and critical disability studies to this research project, as well as her deep respect for including knowledge generated by people with disabilities in our public discourse. She teaches at the School of Disability Studies at Ryerson University. In 2019 she will once again be teaching an online class, Research Methods in Disability Studies.

Welcome Chelsea. We look forward to learning together as we create knowledge and fun in the VOICE Lab.

Funding for this research project is through MITACS: Mitacs builds partnerships between academia, industry, and the world to create a more innovative Canada

Let’s Connect Technologies

December 9, 2018/0 Comments/in Uncategorized

For many people using digital technology is as familiar as the air they breathe, but for others it is another place of exclusion. Astonished! is delighted to partner with Inclusion Regina in the fall of 2018 to introduce six A! Core Members to online safety and the basics of using an iPad. The program, called Let’s Connect Technologies, enables participants to acquire their own iPads at a minimal price, and introduces participants to a variety of programs, apps, and online safety. Some of the participants were already familiar with the iPad but for others it was their first opportunity to have their own iPad and begin to access the world that is possible with this tool. The pride in the room was palpable. Thanks Inclusion Regina for partnering with us. We gratefully acknowledge financial support from the Lorne and Evelyn Johnson Foundation at South Saskatchewan Community Foundation. To see photos from one of the evening sessions please click here.

Astonished! Leadership Team 2018

November 5, 2018/0 Comments/in Leadership Team

Corrie Van Burgsteden, Pagan Racette, Stephanie Ikekhuamen, Kaitlyn Hoar, Alix Norum (Astonished! Leadership Team), and Katherine Taylor (Astonished! Program Coordinator) were not daunted by blowing snow and icy streets. On November 5th they met, as they do the first Monday of every month, to organize events for the Astonished! Social Club. Last month was a scary cookie bake-off to celebrate Halloween, this month will be a Regina Cougars hockey game. They plan a variety of social and recreational events in response to the diverse interests of the Astonished! Core Members. For every event they attend to the details of accessibility, transportation, food and beverages, and of course fun. Thanks to this wonderful group of six for keeping the A! Social Club vibrant.

Photo: Corrie Van Burgsteden, Pagan Racette, Stephanie Ikekhuamen, Katherine Taylor, Kaitlyn Hoar, Alix Norum.

Meet Kristin Drummond

October 2, 2018/0 Comments/in Field Placement

Kristin Drummond is completing a Bachelor of Community Rehabilitation and Disabilities Studies from the University of Calgary. This degree is offered though online courses from the University of Calgary and Athabasca University. As part of her degree studies Kristin is currently doing a community-based practicum with Astonished! She is writing a volunteer manual that will support the orientation of Astonished! volunteers.

In addition to working on her degree and doing a placement with Astonished!, Kristin works 4/5 time as a client services coordinator at Spinal Cord Injury Saskatchewan. Kristin has life experience and education that contribute to her skills at work. She has Cerebral Palsy and has used a wheel chair since her middle-school years. As a child and a teenager growing up in Swift Current her grandparents played a significant role in her life. Kristin has an Employment Supports Specialty Advanced Certificate from Douglas College, and a certificate in Life Skills Coaching. She loves teaching transferable skills to people with disabilities. For example, she taught a community cooking class that included skills in math, reading, decision making, and self esteem. Kristin always tries to ensure that the people involved are part of the decision-making process and she is always willing to learn.

Kristin currently lives in Regina and is a regular traveler on ParaTransit. On her workdays she wakes at 5:30 AM to be ready for her bus that arrives at 6:50 and gets her to her workplace for 8:00. She notes it is difficult to plan down-time between activities because it is a challenge to get home and back in the time available. She can relate to the lives of many of the Astonished! Core Members who also must factor in a large amount of time in each day for travel. Time management takes on a fourth dimension when you must include accessible public transportation into the shape of your day, every day.

We are happy to have Kristin on the A! Team and are looking forward to learning with her.

Behind the Scenes

September 28, 2018/0 Comments/in Field Placement

When you attend an event like the Astonished! Gala or the Astonished! Walk and Roll do you ever wonder how this all came together? Bonnie Cummings-Vickaryous, the Executive Director of Astonished!, is a pro at organizing events and she knows how important it is to have a competent team for any event to be successful. This semester Adeena Cox and Brooklyn Weisgerber, students in Sports and Recreation Studies at the University of Regina, are doing their Junior Practicum in Sport and Recreation Management with Astonished! Their focus is organizing, promoting, coordinating, and evaluating the 2018 Walk and Roll .

Adeena and Brooklyn have a few things in common: they each plan to graduate with a Bachelor of Sports and Recreation Management, they each are the eldest daughters in their families, and they both have their sights set on clear goals after graduation. Adeena’s long term goal is to work on an Olympics gymnastic committee. In the short term she hopes to manage a gym or a team. She is currently a coach at the Wascana Rhythmic Gymnastics Club. Brooklyn hopes to work at female hockey development with the Saskatchewan Hockey Association, encouraging more females to be involved in hockey, especially at the younger levels.

Brooklyn chose this placement with Astonished! because she has been part of events as a volunteer and like Adeena she wanted to experience the management of an event from start to finish.

Both Adeena and Brooklyn have registered teams for the Walk and Roll. Adeena knows how enthusiasm is contagious and her team quickly responded to the invitation to participate in the A! Walk and Roll. Brooklyn is seeking sponsors for the event and doing research on event sponsors. If you are interested in being a sponsor for the 2018 Walk and Roll please let Brooklyn know by e-mailing Bonnie Cummings-Vickaryous.

Thank you Adeena and Brooklyn. We are delighted to have you with us.

Photo: Adeena Cox and Brooklyn Weisgerber

A! Summer BBQ 2018

August 21, 2018/0 Comments/in Social Club

Each year the A! Summer BBQ seems to be even more fun. Tuesday August 21, 2018 was a perfect evening for a BBQ. People are genuinely interested in each other and love getting together to visit, get to know new members and friends, and enjoy the yummy BBQ treats. Thanks to the A! Leadership Team, A! Staff and families, and the Community Initiatives Fund for their support of this event. To see photos of the evening click here…

Photo: Jessica Opdahl and Katherine Taylor

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Welcome Dr. Chelsea Temple Jones

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Astonished! Leadership Team 2018

Meet Kristin Drummond

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