Donate
  • About
  • Rent College Pads
  • Advertise
  • Privacy
Search
News
Opinions
Sports
Classifieds
Comics
BMA
Events
Subscribe

Sunday, January 29, 2023
Print Archive

Eastern Echo
  • News
  • Sports
  • Opinions
  • Comics
  • Podcast
  • BMA
  • Events
  • Classifieds
  • Search
  • News
  • Sports
  • Opinions
  • Comics
  • Podcast
  • BMA
  • Events
  • Classifieds
Search

Subscribe to the Echo

Donate to The Echo

You can support the Echo by donating through the EMU Foundation and selecting to apply your gift to a specific fund. Any of the funds listed below will provide support to the Echo.

01049 -- EMU Echo Editor Endowed Scholarship:  Provides financial support for the current EMU Echo Editor.

02414 -- Scott Stephenson Eastern Echo Scholarship:  This expendable scholarship is for the benefit of student(s) in the School of Communication, Media & Theater Arts in the College of Arts & Sciences.  It will be awarded to a full or part-time junior or senior EMU student majoring in journalism and working for the Eastern Echo.  The student should be working to self-finance their education and not be eligible for need-based grants.

00825 -- Student Media Development:  Provides support for the Student Media program.

Thank you for supporting the Echo and EMU Student Media.

Give Now


11/18/2019, 12:19pm

The film "Intelligent Lives" screens in EMU Student Center

Approximately 100 people attended the event. Following the film screening, there was a panel discussion.

By Austin Book
The film "Intelligent Lives" screens in EMU Student Center
Austin Book

Dr. David Winters addresses crowd at film screening of Intelligent Lives.

Share

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Mail
  • Print

On Friday, Nov. 17, the Eastern Michigan University College of Education and the Ann Arbor Individual Disability Education Advocacy Series (A2Ideas) co-sponsored a screening of the film Intelligent Lives at the EMU Student Center.

Following the screening of the film, there was a panel discussion led by Heather Eckner, Dr. Carrie Filarski, and Janice Fialka. Fialka is the mother of the film’s subject, Micah Fialka-Feldman. Approximately 100 people attended the event.

The film Intelligent Lives follows three young adults with intellectual disabilities as they navigate high school, college and the workforce. In spite of the many highly segregated social systems in America for people with disabilities, the film’s subjects Micah, Naieer and Naomie thrive because of the inclusive environments that they are a part of.

Two copies of Fialka’s book What Matters, Reflections on Disability, Community and Love were raffled off to two attendees of the event. The book follows Micah and his community's journey to establish full inclusion.

During the discussion, Fialka offered her take on how to make classrooms more inclusive.

“I’ll throw out a radical thought to shift. I think that until we drop general-ed and special-ed and make it all one education, we are not going to be able to really come to a full inclusion. It will continue to be their students and my students. How we get to our students is if the kids at the pre-surface level in college are learning how to teach all kids,” said Fialka.

This idea resonated with EMU student Kylie Sutherlin, a senior majoring in elementary special education with a cognitive impairment endorsement.

“I think any child can be put into general-ed. It’s just the services and supports that they need to be successful. I think that was shown and discussed throughout the movie, so I think that was my biggest takeaway."

Heather Eckner, the Founder and Executive Director of A2Ideas, described her experience as a teacher and a parent to children with disabilities. “I knew I wasn’t trained well enough as a general education teacher for students with disabilities. Then, I became a parent of a kid with a disability and I was like ‘Hold up. I’m going to make sure I have all that training.’"

A2Ideas offers education advocacy services and programs to families within Washtenaw County and surrounding areas. The non-profit organization launched in 2017.

“We’re now three years into it. We’re still very much a startup. Grassroots like in the true sense of the word,” said Eckner.

Beginning with this school year, A2Ideas now offers a new program led by Eckner, A2Ideas Advocacy & Support Training (AsSisT) program.

Adriana Rodriguez, board chair of A2Ideas, shared her thoughts.

“What I’ve learned is that parents need help,” said Rodriguez. "This is a whole new navigational system where parents that have kids now [know that inclusive environments] didn’t exist when they were in school, so they’re learning and they need help. When things go wrong, it’s crisis mode and they need someone like Heather. We’re trying to train parents.”

By the time the AsSisT program is over, each family will have undergone at least 40 hours of advocacy through a series of training sessions, consultations, coaching, ongoing communication and support to help their child further succeed in the community’s education system.

To donate to A2Ideas, visit http://www.a2ideas.org/donate/.

Share



Related Stories

Echo Logo

Wellness Series - Part 2: Physical Wellness

By Ronia-Isabel Cabansag

sign.jpg

EMU Faculty Senate to discuss resolution to university budget concerns

By Joe Israel

TALK: Text and Learn for Kindergarten helps young kids learn to communicate

By Montgomery Jones


The Eastern Echo welcomes thoughtful discussion on all of our stories, but please keep comments civil and on-topic. Read our full guidelines here.


Most Popular


1/24/2023, 8:00am

From tumbling to trending: EMU cheerleader gains 2.4 million views on recent TikTok

By Mackenzie Thompson

Eastern Michigan University cheerleader Olivia Fields' TikTok video at recent basketball game reaches 2.4 million views.


1/25/2023, 10:37am

Emoni Bates showcases superstar talents in Toledo; scores career-high 43 points


1/23/2023, 12:00am

EMU men's basketball game vs. NIU draws in record-breaking attendance


1/25/2023, 8:40am

Review: ‘Japanese Tales of the Macabre’ is a sad watch for anime fans


Podcast


11/10/2022, 11:35am

TheBlockE Podcast


11/8/2022, 11:35am

Student Interview: Pritish Kokate - The Eastern Echo Podcast Ep. 5


11/3/2022, 5:58pm

Special episode: EMU Journalism Professor Dr. You Li speaks with EMU alumni Nathan Bomey


10/27/2022, 6:03pm

Interview w/ Ronia Cabansag - The Eastern Echo Podcast Ep. 3


Tweets by TheEasternEcho
Eastern Michigan Echo To Homepage
  • About
  • Jobs
  • Freelance
  • Submissions
  • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Distribution

All Rights Reserved

© Copyright 2023 The Eastern Echo

Powered by Solutions by The State News.