Author: Cassandra “Cass” Cabales, Head of Curriculum & Instruction
Last month on August 11-13, 2020, MAGIC hosted its very first virtual camp: MAGICAL Me. For 3 consecutive days, our students were given the opportunity to gather together as a community to explore ideas of diversity and inclusivity. Every day consisted of a story time, a movement exercise, an activity, and a closing discussion. All the activities and lesson plans were created by our teachers. The camp was led by Miss Myrella, Miss Priya, and Miss Corrine.
Day 1: Self & influences
Starting with the Self, Miss Myrella led inner reflection prompts in which students were invited to think about characteristics that they liked about themselves. Understanding what makes each of us different as individuals is the first step in accepting and appreciating that which makes us different from one another. Through movement exercises and discussions, students reflected on how they can be influenced by their environment yet continue to have their own unique expression.
Day 2: Inclusivity through appreciation
This day was led by Miss Priya, focusing on building inclusivity through appreciation. Moving forward from day one’s discussion of the self, this session was about building appreciation for oneself, then building appreciation for others. Students were able to see how one idea could be interpreted and expressed in many different ways through a creative movement exercise and an art activity. By appreciating each other’s creativity in movement and art, students were able to foster inclusivity for their camp community.
Day 3: Diversity in community
Miss Corinne led the final day with activities that celebrate diversity in our local and global community. Through choreographing movement and learning different ways of communicating, the students were given the opportunity to appreciate the many differences that contribute to the diversity of our world. Students discussed their individual differences and how those differences can be celebrated because they bring diversity to the different communities they are a part of.
It has been found that “inclusive extracurricular activities foster self determination, leadership, and communication skills in children with disabilities,” (Agran et. al). For any child, extracurricular activities allow for experiences that encourage growth. However, it is also known that “few students with intellectual and developmental disabilities participate in extracurricular activities,” (Vinoski, et. al). This lack of an outlet for the population has only been exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic. Here at MAGIC, we strive to deliver educational and accessible programs for our students to the best of our ability.
While our classes have always had inclusivity and diversity embedded within the curriculum, the political climate of our world today has encouraged our directors to take it a step further by creating a space for our students to have these important conversations. Moving forward, we hope to launch more virtual camps in the future to continue to educate our students to be better citizens of the world.
References
Martin Agran, et al. “Education and Training in Autism and Developmental Disabilities: Does Inclusion End at 3:00?” The Journal of the Division on Autism and Developmental Disabilities, The Council for Exceptional Children, Mar. 2017, doi: ISSN-2154-1647.
Vinoski, Erin, et al. “Building Self-Determination Through Inclusive Extracurricular Programs.” TEACHING Exceptional Children, vol. 48, no. 5, 18 May 2016, pp. 258–265., doi:10.1177/0040059915626127.