Institute for Disability Studies
STEP UP to Leadership Notes
January 2011 Edition
  

Welcome to STEP UP to Leadership Notes, an e-newsletter for youth and young adults with disabilities.  STEP UP to Leadership Notes, formerly IDS Youth Notes, is offered through the Start Today Empowering Peers through Uniting and Participating Advisory Council . . . young leaders of tomorrow with and without disabilities.  STEP UP Notes includes information on leadership, self-advocacy, transition, health care, education, career and job opportunities, recreational activities, and more.  If you have resources or information that you want to share with others, please reply to this e-mail or contact Jerry R. Alliston at jerry.alliston@usm.edu.

Inside this issue:

1. Advisory Council Members Needed . . . An Update
2. Spring 2011 National Scholarship Competition for College Students with Disabilities
3. Training Opportunities for Parents and Others
4. iPhone, iPad and iPod touch Apps for (Special) Education
5. Opportunity to Get Involved

 

1.   Advisory Council Members Needed . . . An Update

Start Today Empowering Peers through Uniting and Participating (STEP UP) Advisory Council . . . young leaders of tomorrow with and without disabilities . . .  has expanded with the addition of several new members and there are still has openings for those interested.  The STEP UP Council is the youth and young adult advisory council for the Institute for Disability Studies (IDS). The council consists of youth and young adults with and without disabilities and provides guidance for all activities and training that target youth and young adults.  The next council meeting is scheduled for Thursday, February 10,  in the IDS Library, on the 4th floor of Bond Hall at The University of Southern Mississippi Hattiesburg Campus.  For more information or to request a membership application, please contact Terri “Cookie” Smith at 1.601.266.4093 or terri.smith@usm.edu. 

2.   Spring 2011 National Scholarship Competition for College Students with Disabilities

disABLEDperson, Inc. has announced its Spring 2011 nationally based scholarship competition for college students with disabilities.  To qualify, students must be full-time, be enrolled in a two or four year accredited
college or university and be a U.S. citizen.  To participate, students need to be registered with disABLEDperson.com and then complete a 750 word essay on “In your opinion, what was the message the voters sent to politicians in our recent November 2010 mid-term elections, be specific”? The award amount is $1,000 and the deadline is March 4, 2011. For more information, visit www.disABLEDperson.com.

3.   Training Opportunities for Parents and Others

Training opportunities are listed on the Institute for Disabiltiy Studies Calendar of Events.  Several parent training are listed including “Take Action for Positive Outcomes.”  This is a one-day training on issues related to children with disabilities on February 4, at the Jackson Medical Mall.  This is a free conference that covers a variety of topics including a discussion on the “Transition to Adult Health Care and Life.”  For information about this training and others, please visit http://www.usm.edu/ids/calevents/index.php.

4.   iPhone, iPad and iPod touch Apps for (Special) Education

A listing of smart phone applications for special education is available.  Applications are listed in 10 categories from communication to songs to accessibility.  The listing is available in a PDF format and does include the application name, a link to the application and a short description.  To view this resource, visit http://leadershipmega-conf-reg.tadnet.org/uploads/file_assets/attachments/196/original_24470331-iPhone-iPad-and-iPod-touch-Apps-for-Special-Education.pdf?1279916253.

5.  Opportunity to Get Involved

Spearheaded by a group of 20 teenagers, a national campaign was recently kicked off designed to reshape youth perceptions of inclusion and ideas about what's "normal.”  The "I am Norm" campaign is centered on online videos, social networking and more to spark conversation about inclusion of people with disabilities and what it really means to be normal.  To learn more about this campaign, visit http://www.iamnorm.org/home.aspx.
STEP UP to Leadership Notes is provided by the Institute for Disability Studies (IDS) at The University of Southern Mississippi, Mississippi’s University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, funded by the Administration on Developmental Disabilities (GR# 90DN0228).  For more information, call 1.888.671.0051 or visit IDS on the Web at www.usm.edu/ids.

SUBSCRIBE/UNSUBSCRIBE
***********************************

TO SUBSCRIBE

If this mailing was forwarded to you and you are not already subscribed to STEP UP Notes, here's how you can become a subscriber:

Sign up online at https://mailman.usm.edu/mailman/listinfo/idsyouth                     

TO UNSUSCRIBE

Unsubscribe online at https://mailman.usm.edu/mailman/listinfo/idsyouth and login with your email address and your password. If you do not have a password (they are emailed to members at the beginning of every month), contact one of the administrators listed below.

***********************************

Please visit the IDS Calendar of Events at  http://www.usm.edu/ids/calevents/.

Questions may be addressed to
terri.smith@usm.edu OR jerry.alliston@usm.edu
______________________________________________
STEP UP Notes Mailing List
idsyouth@usm.edu
https://mailman.usm.edu/mailman/listinfo/idsyouth