My Senior Ventures project involves organizing monthly social groups for teens with Down syndrome to help them with important communication and social skills. Meetings will be virtual for now and will include 10 to 14 teenagers. My plan is to focus the social groups on specific topics and to create videos to assist the teenagers with their communication needs. We will talk about certain phrases to use in different situations for each meeting time. Topic examples are how to let someone know that you like them, how to tell someone that they hurt your feelings, or how to order at a restaurant. Parents of the teens will receive information regarding what was covered during the social groups and how to assist at home. I will also provide fine motor skill kits the teens can pick up and use.
Recently, I sent the parents a form so they can get to know me and to provide them an opportunity to let me know dates and times they would prefer for the groups to meet and topic suggestions. I also wanted to gauge whether or not they were willing to have their teens participate in person while wearing masks, social distancing, and providing individually wrapped snacks. Before our first meeting, I will also have an informational Zoom call with the parents so they can hear my thoughts and plans, and I can answer any questions they may have.
My parents own a pediatric therapy clinic, so I know many children with Down syndrome and have grown up around them. I already have a list of teens that would love to participate. I have always loved getting to know and spend time with these children, and I can’t wait to see their faces every month and have the opportunity to teach them important life skills. It fills me with joy to know that what I teach these teens could impact them for the rest of their lives.
By the end of this year when all of our meetings have been completed, I hope for the teens that participated to be able to hold a formal conversation, as well as express their feelings and emotions. I hope that they will be able to interact with people better and will be able to speak in daily situations that we often take for granted.
My Darlington mentors are Mr. Bruce and Mrs. Smyly. My community mentor will be my mother, Beth McRay, who has owned a pediatric therapy clinic for 30 years. I have very high hopes for this project, and I hope that I will be able to make a positive impact on these teen's lives, as well as their family's lives.
The Senior Ventures leadership program is a year-long senior project built on a framework of leadership, innovation, and community engagement. The topic and the project design are chosen by an individual student or a pair of students, and the journey is guided by Darlington faculty as well as mentors in the community. Most projects fall into one of the following categories: Investigation, Performance, Entrepreneurship, and Outreach. Candidates are selected according to proposal quality, feasibility, and commitment.
