9
CAMPS SCHOOLS AN ANTON MEDIA GROUP SPECIAL
NOVEMBER 30 DECEMBER 6, 2016
9A
&
More Than Just A Play Date BY JILL NOSSA
jnossa@antonmediagroup.com
Organizing play dates can be challenging for parents with young children: it takes time, often costs money and requires a supportive social network. Some parents find that putting children in classes or preschool is enough to build a foundation, but others, particularly parents of children with special needs, find that type of structured environment may not be enough. To foster social relationships in the early years for children both with and without special needs, PeerPals. org offers opportunities for children to play in a fun and safe setting. Founded in 2008 by Julie Keffer, PeerPals.org seeks to “create communities of inclusion for children with disabilities as they enter kindergarten.” The Oyster Bay-based 501(c)3 nonprofit organization organizes individual and group play dates for kids ages 2 to 5 all across Long Island, at no cost to families. Prior to starting the organization, Keffer, a mother of three children with special needs, was part of the federal program Partners in Policymaking, an eight-month, 140hour course in disability advocacy, in an effort to learn how to help her own children thrive. The group consisted of parents like herself as well as self-advocates—adults who grew up with disabilities. “As I got to know the
Group play dates are guided in a fun and safe environment. self-advocates, I learned they all had exactly the same story,” said Keffer. “They never had friends in elementary school, never got invited on a play date and were never invited to a birthday party. As a mother of three, I was devastated.” Living in the hamlet of Oyster Bay, she said she and her children had a positive experience. “Still, it was alarming to know that this was not everyone’s experience,” she said. In the spring of 2008, Keffer entered a contest held by O, The Oprah Magazine; she wrote up the
framework for PeerPals.org and was one of the 80 women chosen, out of 3,000 applicants. From there, she went back to school to get a certificate in fundraising and development management. The group started with one play date, in 2009, with 12 kids. Now, they have more than 200 families across Nassau, Suffolk, Queens and Rockland County. They set up
see PLAY DATE on page 10A The friendships made through PeerPals. org serve as the building blocks for inclusive communities as children enter kindergarten together.
Twyla Tharp Choreographer Teaches Dance Class Manager and dancer from the renowned Twyla Tharp dance company, Alex Brady, recently led an exclusive dance lesson for Nassau BOCES Long Island High School for the Arts (LIHSA) Dance students. These select students were granted a unique opportunity to be trained in a Master Class by an expert to help them improve their dance skills. Brady, who was also with the Broadway show Movin’ Out and performed with the Joffrey Ballet, taught the LIHSA students dance routines that would help build the quality of their performances for their future endeavors in
the dancing field. With expectations of mirroring Brady’s success, the students trained and exuded determination and talent for the elite dancer, who in return offered opinions, pointers and knowledge. Brady described his personal affiliation with the Twyla Tharp dance company to be a great opportunity and said he wanted to reciprocate his learning to the LIHSA students. When he asked how many students want to be dancers, they all raised their hands. Brady described his class as “not only teaching the students how to dance, but why they are doing these moves.”