If you know a youth with disabilities who is excelling in categories such as academics, community service, and independent living skills, now is your chance to nominate that person for a Yes I Can! Award, sponsored by the Council For Exceptional Children.
Each year, CEC selects 27 winners for their achievements in one of nine categories: academics, arts, athletics, community service, employment, extracurricular activities, independent living skills, self-advocacy and technology.
Last year’s winners included Kristina Brewster, a 19-year-old student from Atlanta with Down syndrome who manages the girl’s junior varsity soccer team and participates in her church choir, Girl Scouts and the Special Olympics; and Chelsea King from Brooklyn, a 17-year-old with spinal muscular atrophy who uses technology to read aloud to classmates and send e-mails to friends and family.
The nomination period ends Oct. 22, so get those names in! Also, the CEC has produced a short video that explains the program in more detail.