Youth & Family Disability Resources: March 2015

Hey PYD community!  Spring starts on March 21st.  We’re super excited, even though there’s still snow on the ground.

Here’s our list of fun things to do this month (along with a separate section on summer job/internship and scholarship opportunities!).

Ignore the Snow, Embrace More Hours of Daylight!

CraftBoston Spring Show. Tomorrow, check out awesome crafts from 90 artists at The Cyclorama at The Boston Center for the Arts! Spend the day looking at and learning about contemporary craft, meet the artists, and take home a work of art!

FREE Sensory-Friendly Showing of “Cinderella.” Thanks to Sophie’s Promise and the Commonwealth Financial Group, Regal Cinemas in Swansea will present a sensory-friendly showing of “Cinderella” on from 12:00pm-2:00pm on Saturday, March 21st. Lights will be left on in the theater and the sound will be turned down during the movie. Kids will be free to get up and move around. Best of all, it’s FREE OF CHARGE to children with special needs and their families!

Men for Mentoring Night. 80% of our waitlisted mentees are male and request male mentors. Help us get them off the waitlist! Attend our Men for Mentoring Night next Thursday, March 26th and bring one or more male guests with you!  The more men you bring, the more chances you get to enter our raffle for an awesome prize.  Not to mention there’ll be plenty of food and good times.  Go ahead and RSVP!

Beeping Egg Hunt at Perkins School for the Blind. Perkins School for the Blind is partnering with the Massachusetts Association of Parents of the Visually Impaired to host an awesome Beeping Egg Hunt for kids with visual impairment at 10:30am on Saturday, March 28th! This event is FREE. Register online.

Community Partners Day at the Museum of Science.   The Museum of Science is hosting a Community Partners Day from 10:00am-5:00pm on Saturday, March 28th! All registered attendees receive up to 4 FREE adult and/or children exhibit hall passes per reservation. Register for Community Partners Day by 5pm on March 26.

Be a Camper at Camp Shriver! Camp Shriver (at both UMass Boston and Stonehill College locations) is a fabulous inclusive summer sports day camp for kids aged 8-12 with and without mild intellectual/developmental disabilities! Camp Shriver is FREE after you pay a $25 registration fee.  Learn more about the camp and apply by April 1st.

SPaN 5th Annual School Fair for Parents of Children with Disabilities. The Special Advocacy Network is hosting the 5th Annual School Fair for parents of children with disabilities at 8:15am-12:45 pm on Thursday, April 2nd. The fair will take place at the Best Western Royal Plaza in West Marlboro, MA. Learn more about the fair and register online.

Boston Ballet at the Strand Theatre. See the Boston Ballet for just $5 at the Strand Theatre at 7pm on Friday, April 10th! You’ll get to see amazing performances, including one from the Boston Ballet’s Adaptive Dance program. Get your tickets online today!

Wings for Autism. Travel is stressful in general but can be particularly stressful for families who have a child with special needs. Wings for Autism events are a FREE OF CHARGE “test run” through the airport boarding process specifically designed for families who have a child with an autism spectrum disorder. Families can practice the ticketing process, going through security, waiting in the terminal, and boarding the plane. The next Wings for Autism event is at 9:00am on Saturday, April 11th, and will be located at Logan Airport, Terminal E. If you’re interested, RSVP online!

Free Thursdays at the Institute for Contemporary Art (ICA). Explore the ICA for FREE any Thursday night, 5:00-9:00pm, this month and check out two of the museum’s newest exhibits: “When the Stars Begin to Fall: Imagination and the American South” and Sonic Arboretum.

Free Film Fridays at the Museum of Science.  All IMAX® films in the Mugar Omni Theater each Friday in March (6, 13, 20, and 27) are free! You can check out upcoming showtimes online. Pick up tickets at the Museum box office on the day of the show only (first come, first served). Museum members may reserve tickets starting on the Monday prior to each Friday’s showings by calling Science Central at 617-723-2500.

…And Other Free Museum Days in Boston.  If the ICA or the Museum of Science don’t float your boat, check out free admission days for these other local museums!

Massachusetts Department of Public Health Survey. Help the Massachusetts Department of Public Health improve their services for families of youth with special health care needs! They’re conducting a confidential and anonymous survey of families of children and youth with special healthcare needs aged up to 24 years. It should only take 15-20 minutes to complete and you have the chance to enter a raffle for one of 20 $50 gift cards. Note: The online survey is in English only. If you’d like a paper copy of the survey (in English or Spanish) or have any questions, please call 617-624-5478 or send an email to specialhealthneeds@state.ma.us.

 Want Something New to Add To Your Resume?

Summer Jobs Workshop.  In order to help prepare our mentees for employment, we are holding a Summer Job Workshop at the PYD office on Saturday, March 28th from 10am-12pm. Refreshments will be provided! We’ll discuss tips on completing applications, writing a resume, preparing for an interview, and employment resources. If you have a resume, bring it to the workshop and we can help you with edits. Contact Rivka Barrett at hbarrett@pyd.org or 617-556-4075 x19 for more information or to RSVP. We hope to see you there!

Access to the World Scholarships. Hey college students with disabilities! Interested in studying abroad but worried about the expense? Apply to one of these  25 CIEE/MIUSA Access to the World Scholarships to help cover costs! The deadline for all applications is April 1st.

Apply to be a Counselor or Educational Intern at Camp Shriver! Camp Shriver is also seeking counselors and educational interns to work with their campers! The educational intern application is due April 1st, and the counselor application is due April 15th. Learn more about both positions on the Camp Shriver website.

2015 Lime Connect Fellowship Program. Lime Connect and its corporate partners welcome undergraduate college sophomores/rising juniors to join their 2015 Lime Connect Fellowship Program for Students with Disabilities! The Fellowship Program is one year long. It provides awesome workshops, leadership/skill building, interview prep, and more! Apply for this exciting opportunity by April 5th.

Volunteer Expo at the Prudential Center. Looking for a chance to volunteer and find ways to do good in Boston? Check out the 10th Annual Volunteer Expo at the Prudential Center on Thursday, April 9th! It’ll be from 5:30-7:30pm. There’ll be snacks from Qdoba and Wagamama, and lots of cool people from Boston nonprofits who are eager to chat with you … and PYD has a table! Come by, even if it’s just to say hello.

Youth Leadership Forum. Haven’t applied yet for Easter Seals Massachusetts’ Youth Leadership Forum? No worries, you still have until May 15th! Attend an overnight conference for youth and young adults with disabilities, sleep in dorms at Bridgewater State, and learn about advocacy, independent living, and more!

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