Brevard Center: What’s New with the Drama Club

By Janet Hrezo, The Brevard Center

If you’ve been at the Brevard Center on any recent Wednesday afternoon, you may have heard some silly songs echoing through the hallway. Don’t worry. It’s just the Drama Club rehearsing for their next performance.

Each semester they “go live” before an audience of students and staff and are currently trying out some new improvisations as well as beginning work on a new play by actor and resident playwright, Daniel Eakin.

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Winter Convocation at the Brevard Center

By Janet Hrezo, CIP Brevard Center

The Brevard Center gathered on January 8th for our Winter Convocation. Staff and students caught up on all the news after the break and we welcomed our first international student, Dane Sampath, who is from Trinidad and Tobago.

The convocation was a great opportunity for all of us to think about and begin to set goals for the upcoming semester. The staff and our guest speaker, Dr. Michael McManmon, presented many ideas for accomplishing this.

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Get Ready For Spring Break 2010!

Students enrolled at CIP have the option of attending a fun and educational travel program one week a year during the college spring break in March. This year CIP students will diverge across the world to Ireland, Hawaii, Washington D.C. and a Caribbean Cruise!

Students prepare for this trip through a series of class meetings in which they study the language, arts, culture and trip itinerary. Each year an exciting new world destination is chosen and students get a cultural experience they will never forget with staff and their peers.

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Brevard Center Holiday Party

By Janet Hrezo, Brevard Center staff

The Brevard Center was rocking on December 4 when students, staff and guests attended the 2009 Holiday Party. We were singing and dancing and shared good food and even better company as we got together for some fun and games.

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Parent Weekend Speech

Kaitlyn Finn, 2nd-year student, College Internship Program at the Berkeley Center

For as long as I’ve had a life philosophy, mine could be summed up by one word – balance. As a child with high levels of anxiety 1 was taught thought replacement therapy, replacing negative, destructive, irrational thoughts about what a failure I perceived myself as with positive, constructive statements.

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Wellness Students of the Month

Modern and Innovative Techniques to Create Healthier Lifestyles

At the core of the program, CIP is committed to address the wellness of each student. The Wellness Program offers nutrition classes, fitness training, sensory diets, yoga and exercise clubs and many more modern and innovative techniques which help create healthier lifestyles and provide education about physical fitness and well-being.

The CIP Wellness Students of the Month are…

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Brevard Center Internship Spotlight: Baer Air

By Janet Hrezo, Brevard Center

Jay Mikush, a first year student at the Brevard Center, is a young man with his head in the clouds. His goal is to be a pilot and he’s currently working on a private pilot’s license. His internship at Baer Air, a charter jet service in Melbourne, is a perfect match for him since it gives him the opportunity to learn about all aspects of aviation.

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Making the Most of the Holidays for Your Family and Your Son/Daughter on the Autism Spectrum

Contributed by Cathy Pratt, Ph.D., BCBA
Director, Indiana Resource Center for Autism

While many happily anticipate the coming holiday season, families of sons/daughters on the autism spectrum also understand the special challenges that may occur when schedules are disrupted and routines broken. Our hope is that by following these few helpful tips, families may lessen the stress of the holiday season and make it a more enjoyable experience for everyone involved. The following tips were developed with input from the Autism Society of America, the Indiana Resource Center for Autism, Easter Seals Crossroads, Sonya Ansari Center for Autism at Logan, and the Indiana Autism Leadership Network.

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It All Starts With A Dream

By Jeffrey Wheeler, M.Ed., Berkshire Center Academic Coordinator
and Dan McManmon, CIP National Office
From the AANE (Asperger’s Association of New England) Fall Journal, 2009

Meryl Kahn, age 25, just completed her sixth year at the College Internship Program (CIP) at the Berkshire Center in Massachusetts. Meryl came to CIP as a way to continue her post-secondary education while developing career, social and life skills, areas often overlooked for students with learning disabilities. During her years at the CIP, Meryl faced and overcame a myriad of obstacles.

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Identity Theft and Facebook

By Marc Larrivee, CIP National IT Administrator

Identity theft happens. In the U.S., there are 8.5 million incidents of identity theft in virtual and real settings every year. On Facebook, with over 150 million users, and 650,000 new users signing up every day, a few wolves sneak in to prey on friends.

Facebook fosters friendships. Students, parents, teachers, and workers find, contact, and share with friends. Students rush home, hop online, and share the latest news. Parents reach classmates that they haven’t heard from in years. Making friends has become easy.

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Andy Gulley: Brevard Center Wellness Student of the Month

By Jamie Kennedy, Brevard Center Health and Wellness Coordinator

Andy, a first-year student from Oviedo, Florida, has been working hard to lose weight and improve his personal grooming skills. He has lost 10 pounds since the start of the semester at CIP and is an active team member during group Health and Wellness sessions.

Andy’s exercise goals continue to improve as he puts forth great effort and has attuned himself to learning new movements during individual sessions. Currently, he is focusing on coordination exercises using a jump rope, practicing standard sit-ups, and understanding kettlebell swings, while also actively working towards maintaining a healthier diet.

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Berkshire Wellness Student of the Month

By Justin Green, Berkshire Center Health & Wellness Coordinator

Dan Sullivan approaches the wellness component of the CIP program with a noticeable intensity and enthusiasm. “I need to succeed in life,” he acknowledges, “And I can’t succeed without discipline.” This is evident to anyone who has witnessed Dan in one of his wellness sessions or classes. He always shows up, often early, and is ready for a challenge. “You’ll feel better if you sweat,” he says. “You might feel exhausted but it’s the good kind of exhaustion – it’s probably the exact opposite to the kind of exhaustion you feel if you don’t do any physical activity.”

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