N.C. Wesleyan professor receives grant

Each year, the N.C. Council for Exceptional Children awards mini-grants to learning programs for students with disabilities and celebrates the achievements of children and youth in these programs.

This year, Dr. Patricia Brewer, professor and coordinator of Special Education at N.C. Wesleyan College, is a 2018 grant recipient, and a previous student of the program, Zach Holliday, is a 2018 Yes I Can! Award winner.

The N.C. Council for Exceptional Children sponsors $500 grants for the purpose of rewarding members who have innovative ideas to better meet the needs of students with disabilities. Students Helping Students After-School Program is a service learning project within Teacher Education that provides after-school services to K-12 children with learning differences in Nash-Rocky Mount Public Schools. The program is designed so education students provide individualized instruction in math and reading. Additionally, the program provides parent advocacy training. Brewer facilitates this part of the program for parents of the K-12 children.

“Students Helping Students After-School Program is a clinical extension of education classes,” Brewer said. “It not only provides pre-service students an opportunity to have real-life experiences working with exceptional children; it also comes with an overwhelming sense of reward. Those rewards are received every day and even more so when students such as Zach are recognized for their accomplishments.”

Holliday, a previous student of the program, is one of this year’s Yes I Can! Award winners. The Yes I Can! International Awards Program was established in 1981 to celebrate the achievements of children and youth with disabilities; to encourage them to seek their highest potential; and to increase public awareness of the abilities, aspirations and personal qualities of people with disabilities. Each year children and youth with disabilities are recognized for their accomplishments through the Yes I Can! Awards Program.

To learn more about the Council for Exceptional Children, visit http://?community.cec.sped.org .